Gabriella
by Joy1
Summary: (READ. You guys love my other stories. Give it a chance.) Spike's true love was killed almost twenty years ago. Now she stands before him alive and in need. Maybe he'll get a second chance. Maybe his son will have better luck with the younger Summers.
1. Gabriella

Gabriella

Author: Joy

Email: Julianna@ziplip.com

A/N: This isn't a S/B but it is a love story for Spike. I think anyone who would like to see Spike be treated well by a love will like this story.

A/N2: PLEASE REVIEW

            The Magic Box was in shambles when Spike reentered it for the first time in months. The Scoobies still didn't want him around really but he was useful…paying penance was what he decided was best for the time being. The group had assembled to research a bit since one of Buffy's prophetic dreams seemed to indicate a new power entering the area. 

            "Let's just see what we can find," Xander stopped mid sentence since there was a beautiful blond woman standing in the middle of the store. 

            The woman stood five' five not chunky but her curves made her certainly not a stick. She was twenty-five at most and absolutely stunning. Her thumbs were hooked into the front of the belt loop to her jeans. Long wavy blond hair with a hint of red graced the sides of her face that hung over her breasts toward her waist. She tilted her head to the side training the brightest blue eyes on the group. "Hi Spike," she said quietly. 

            Spike stood completely still opening and closing his mouth like a fish. "Gabriella," he whispered almost breathlessly. He went to her immediately picking her up off the ground clutching her body for dear life. His lips brushed hers hard then soft. Setting her down he stroked her cheek for a moment. "She said you were dead…She said she killed you."

            They stared at one another for a minute before she stepped out of his grip. "Oh…congratulations on the…" She ran her fingers down the front of his chest. "That whole soul thing." She sighed, "I'm sorry I couldn't be here to help before now… I wasn't ignoring you. Life has been a bit chaotic… Um…I have a surprise for you… and a problem I could use some help with."

            "I didn't even know you were alive. I thought I was just… you heard me?" he spoke completely shocked. "How did you…"

            "Mum!" A teenage boy came out of what was the training room with a cup of blood and a root of some sort in hand. 

            "THAT ISN'T YOURS!" Gabriella shot over to the boy facing him ignoring the stares of the Scooby gang. "You don't take other people's blood without permission whether it's in their refrigerator or in their body! You know that." 

            "There wasn't anyone to ask!" He spoke in a decidedly English accent. The teen was at least five' ten with blond brown curly hair that was put up in spikes with the tips dyed blue. Black t-shirt, black jeans, and black nail polish finished off the look. He had high cheekbones and brilliant blue eyes. 'Pretty Boy' was a fitting description of his physique while he had pierced his eyebrow to mar the effect. 

            "It could have been laced with Holy Water," she contended.

            In grand teen eye roll fashion he stated, "Doesn't work on me now, does it?"

            "Doesn't matter! Where did you get that?" Gabriella pointed to the root.

            "In the cellar. It smelled good. I tasted a bit…nice and spicy. They didn't have any Wheatabix," the boy protested. 

            "I give up!" she grumbled throwing her hands up. She turned to the group, "Do any of you mind him having the blood?" They shook their heads in bewilderment. Gabriella turned back to her son, "Go hit the bag okay." He nodded heading out of the room.  
             Gabriella caught a bit of Spike's shocked expression. He was putting the pieces together but the equation was still adding up wrong. "Will?" The boy looked up. "Come here a second." He shrugged and stood before his mother. "These nice people don't know you so I'm going to ask you questions to help them get to know you."

            "The question game…this is fun," he smirked sitting on a stool.

            "No… More like twenty questions."

            "That bites. Why does it matter if these wankers know me? We aren't staying long," Will groaned.

            "Bare with me," Gabriella insisted. He nodded non-commitally. "Okay… What's your favorite type of music?"  
            "Punk…though techno is gaining momentum… Hey can we go to a rave when we get to LA?" Will asked quickly.

            "Depends on how much of a smartass you are on this trip. Besides that would mean finding someone to look after…"

            "Right… Raving will commence when it can," he gave a classic smirk raising the eyebrow that was pierced. "Next?"

            Gabriella didn't look at the group at all. "What's your favorite band?"

            "Sex Pistols…no Underworld…no Chemical Brothers… That's too hard a question… Sex Pistols."

"Movie?"

            "SLC Punk!" Will said with great enthusiasm. "Wonderful soundtrack."

            "I thought you would have said Sid and Nancy," Gabriella commented. 

            "Old Punk story… SLC is a new punk story," he wagged his eyebrows.

            "Why did you start putting Wheatabix in your blood?" she asked.

            Will stiffened immediately. "Next topic," he growled. Gabriella growled back. A whole conversation past between the two without a word. Will had his head bent down having submitted to Gabriella's authority. Spike watched the altercation instinctively aware that the boy wasn't quite a vampire but wasn't anything he had ever seen before, then again no vampire was really like Gabriella either. 

            "If you don't want to say that is fine…" she relented to which her son gratefully brought his eyes back to hers. "Where's your favorite place in the world that we have lived?"

            "In London. I got Charlie," the teen smirked, "who gave me Joy." 

            "Cryptic much," Dawn whispered.

            "Avoiding Charlie… Where?"

            "Still London. It was the place that was home the longest. I did love Liverpool. It was really wicked to go where the Beatles went. Prague was cool. I never did figure out why I felt at home there but uneasy at the same time," Will commented. Gabriella gave Spike a sideways look. It seemed she had kept tabs on where he had gone since they had parted.

"What's your favorite part about me as your mom?" she asked sweetly.

            "I will always have the hottest mom of all my friends. Their mothers age. Mine stays a hottie for eternity," Will laughed as Gabriella kicked his leg lightly. "Besides you take me to the best concerts… And an rave occasionally."

            "You know my rave rules so don't act that happy."

            "What? I can't just enjoy the fact that I get to go to a party that lasts for hours playing my favorite music. Or is it that it's the only place you let me play," Will paused letting his fangs descend. He did remain remarkably human in appearance. "Though I have to keep my fangs to myself." 

            "That's not all you have to keep to yourself," Gabriella chided.

            Will raised his hand in mock pledge, "No drinking, smoking, doing drugs, doing girls, or biting people." He then saluted. "I will take up my post in the back, General," he announced pacing off to the back. 

            Gabriella trained her eyes on Spike in a second, "You owe me big! I didn't get a little William; I got a little Spike. Temper tantrums were hell."

            "It's not possible," he gasped dumbfounded. 

            "Really… Ever ask Dru why she chased me all over the world for nearly a year before you two patched things up?" she asked simply. 

            "I thought you were dead…And Vampires can't have kids."

            "Vampires also can't retain their souls when they're turned but hey I'm standing here. Cross round my neck doesn't burn me nor do I turn to ash in sunlight. Hey…Will was baptized as a baby. Cooed the entire time. I've never had a problem taking communion either. I am the exception to the rule…why would my kid be any different?" Gabriella stated plainly.

            "Brie! Even if you could, I can't!" Spike insisted. 

            "Really. Talked to my beloved sire recently. He's got a little baby of his own. Connor is all human of course and both his parents were completely vampire," she informed him.

            Spike's face fell, "When did Angelus have a kid?"

            The Scoobies all turned to Buffy to see her reaction…that was plainly shock. "Angel…dear…Angel. Created me when he was Angel. Created Connor in the Womb of Grandmother as Angel too."

Spike breathed erratically, "Why didn't you tell me? I may have not known you were alive but you sure as hell knew I was if you knew about Prague and the soul." 

"First off…I never made any claim to have known anything about Prague. Secondly that is William talking. Spike knows that Dru would have killed me and Will right quick if we had gotten even close. Cause whatever she wanted to believe; I was still the exception to the rule. You wouldn't have killed me for her even if she asked. You may never have loved me but I was the closest thing to a Childe you ever had. I would always be special enough that you would not hurt me…not even if you thought I cheated on you," Gabriella spoke smoothly.

Spike strolled closer to Gabriella…too close, "Who says I never loved you?"

"I'm sorry… I guess I figured that little rational part of the thought that if you loved me you wouldn't have immediately started bedding the woman who supposedly killed me," she countered precisely. 

The Scoobies stood in silence taking in all that was happening. "Giles?" Buffy whispered. "Who is that?"

"I believe someone the Council has been trying to detain for years."

Gabriella abruptly turned on the watcher. "Detain…I believe the word you are searching for is dissect. How bout this? Kill, maim, capture, impregnate… wait you did manage that didn't you? Got your precious little one… You can't have her! She is my daughter and no one is going to take her from me."

"What is she talking about?" Buffy questioned.

"Please Mr. Giles, tell your little girl all about the organization that would sooner kill her then have her continue to run rampant…kind of like Charlie. Did you know Charles, Rupert? I know Wesley did. He had the decency to try to offer me help and asylum from the very council that employed Charles and also killed him."

"I didn't know Charles personally only by reputation… I didn't know he had been murdered. I am not surprised though… What can we do to help?" Giles responded quickly.

"Hey watcher…I just found out I have a son. Can I have a minute or two on that subject?" Spike snapped. Giles bowed his head apologetically. "Does he know?" 

"He will soon… He'll begin to feel more and more at home until he starts remembering your memories then he'll come in and beat your ass," Brie warned.

Spike smirked, "I think I can handle a teen." Ella just laughed. "You don't think so."

"I think you don't know your son. When he's pissed he's… hard to control."

"I got over a hundred years on you."

"Won't help. I promise."

Will stormed in from the training area. "Is this why we're here?" he growled pointing at Spike in disgust. "Dad would not want us to have anything to do with him."

"_Dad is dead," Gabriella stated firmly. "And you're wrong. Charlie told me to come here. He knew we would need help from my family… This is where we have been heading since his death." Spike glowed that she called him family._

Will set his jaw and glared at Spike. "The questions were proof. That's why you wanted me to tell them about the Wheatabix!"

"Yes."

"This is the place. The place I am stuck with in my head. God, I hate it here. You hate it here. This god forsaken place," Will groaned and lunged at Spike. Gabriella caught her son by the throat and threw him firmly across the room landing him at the feet of the Scooby gang. 

"Don't!" Brie warned. "We are not going to have a dominance display here. I will always win that battle so sit down and cool off."

Will sat for a moment huffing. "What the bloody hell are you looking at?" he snapped at a gaping Xander. 

Will stood up and looked each Scooby over angrily. He hadn't seen Buffy, since she had backed away from the scene. He didn't see her until he stood in front of her… Will's eyes got round and scared. He shook for a moment before he crumbled to his knees. Suddenly Will was mewling like a hurt animal, whispering over and over, "I'm a monster. I'm a monster. She said so. She always said so…No one could ever love me."

Gabriella was at her son's side in a second. What everyone failed to notice was the small mite of a girl…little blonde child approaching the scene. Her little hands pet Will's head over and over. She kissed his forehead. "I love you Will," she whispered.

The child looked up at the faces above her. "Mummy…the mean lady is staring at Will."

Gabriella nervously looked at Buffy, "She's not a mean lady."

"She beat up Will," the child insisted.

"She beat up Will's dad," Ella corrected.

"It hurt Will. He was covered in bruises for days because of what she did. She did it even when Will's daddy didn't do anything bad…She is a mean lady!" the girl snapped. She stared at Buffy; "You get away from my brother right now!"

Buffy's breathing was hitched as she backed away. Nothing that happened in the last several minutes made any sense. He had always loved Druscilla. He had always been with her. Buffy shook her head staring at Spike who was watching everything play out. Even with her in the room Spike had gone to this woman on instinct. No hesitation or worry what she might think. He just went to Gabriella, picked her up, and kissed her without a thought to Buffy.

 Everyone was very confused by Will's actions. "No one will ever love me," he mumbled rocking back and forth. "I'll always be a monster." Buffy heard her words coming from the boy's mouth. She watched how it tore him up. She had never been concerned how it would hurt Spike but now seeing how it injured another she wondered about what she had said. 

"It's okay baby…Shhh…" Gabriella soothed her son. Will met his mother's gaze and pushed her off him. He raced for the backroom. "No… WILL STOP!" She tried to hang onto him. He broke free of her grasp. 

"What is he doing?" Spike asked following his son and the boy's mother.

"He's about to give himself second degree burns _again to 'get clean'!" Gabriella yelled flaring her arms in the air before reaching the bathroom. _

Steam billowed out of the door when Brie pulled it open and fought her son to get him out of the burning water. "I'm sorry baby," she said before knocking him out with a sharp punch to the jaw. She bit her lip as she watched her son sag in her arms.  

Spike turned off the water with one hand and steadied his former lover and son together before sinking them to the floor. Gabriella wrapped Will in towels she grabbed from the bathroom, rocking him back a forth. "Does he do this a lot?" Spike asked.

Buffy listened from the door of the training room. Gabriella believed it was just them when she said, "Since the first time in the house with that…I hesitate to call her a person…out there. My god Spike, I don't care how much you love someone you don't take that kind of physical and verbal abuse from anyone. I know you gave as good as you got at times but man why would you take that from her…" She gazed at him kindly, "She may understand a lot about vampires…but she can't see you for more then the sum of your parts. Your soul…it was just an excuse. I can't imagine how she would react if she found out about me." Gabriella smirked, "Angel always did have a thing for blondes, didn't he?"

"You were more than some blond Ella."

"Yeah…I was the blond singer in the blues club the night he got wasted and decided he wanted a new mate…a new plaything. And then what? Morning regret. Torn conscience and soul. He took my life, my virginity, and supposedly my soul. He didn't even have the decency to stake me. He left me to rise alone, hungry and needy."

"Ella…" Spike sighed.

She gazed at him, "You were there. You took care of me. When we figured out I still had my soul…that's why I couldn't eat people that was okay. You got me blood bags…" She chuckled, "Man if she could have seen Angel, the stalker rapist, then things would have been a lot different."

Spike stared deeply in her eyes, "It would have been a lot different if I had known you were pregnant."

Gabriella shook her head, "You would have thought I cheated on you."

"You don't know that."

"Come on Spike! The only reason you even believe me now is because you can see him and how much like you he is. You would have wanted to kill me if you thought I was pregnant by another guy. You wouldn't have done it but you wouldn't have listened."

"Listen to me…I loved you more then anything. You left and I thought I was going to die. I never felt that way with Dru…" 

 Gabriella looked down at Will as they continued to dry him off. "He used to date. He used to like girls his own age…nice girls. Now he afraid of most of his teachers especially women that look like… her. He can take a vampire four times his size and seven times as old in a heartbeat but face a small woman that yells and he dissolves into nothing. I'm going to be lucky if he'll ever date again." 

She gave Spike a small smile. "There is a girl in London that he still calls and emails a lot. That picked back up after your whole soul process…that I am seriously pissed at you over. I did not like having my son bleeding from every orifice of his body while his eyes and chest glowed. That was really fun in a Motel 6 let me tell ya."

"How does he know…see that stuff?" Spike whispered drying his son's hair with a towel. 

"Born with it. He's always seen you and your life, sometimes clearly, sometimes not. Joy's the same way."

"Joy being the little girl that isn't mine," Spike checked with a bit of a sneer.

"Nope… Charlie is…was her father," Gabriella looked at her hands. 

Spike took one of them and said, "What's going on Brie?"

"Joy isn't just a little girl. She's a dhampire with some of the most amazing talents and instincts around. I am not sure what she is or what she'll become but the Powers gave her to me and she will stay with me until my dying day," Gabriella stated firmly. "But the humans aren't too keen on that."

She stood getting clothes out of a duffel bag near by. "Help me with his clothes please," she asked quietly wanting him out of his wet garments. 

Spike nodded removing Will's shirt, drying off his chest. "You named him William?" the new father whispered pulling a long t-shirt over his head 

Gabriella nodded removing Will's jeans. "He doesn't wear underwear either," she commented putting the sweatpants around his hips. "It is so weird to watch him grow up and pick up these things that are so you. I mean the music thing was just weird."

"Has he been happy?" he questioned. 

"He always wanted a dad…and when we met Charlie he got one," she said simply. Spike looked at his hands. "Hey don't feel bad. He always had you in his head… Sometimes you would think of me and he was high for days. It translated into love for him. The last few months have been really hard with all the slayer stuff, then Charlie being murdered. He would feel guilty when he would get happy about your thoughts of me since they've happened more often. It was like he was being disloyal to Charlie by being excited that you still cared about me…i.e. him."

"Did you love him?" Spike asked softly looking down unable to meet her eyes.  
            "You don't get to do that," she said swiftly. His eyes met hers. "You don't get to act jealous or hurt that I was married."

"You were married?" he asked. 

"Yes… Charlie and I were married for seven years."

"What'd you do? Marry him right after you met him?"

"Yes," Gabriella agreed. "Will adored him and Charlie adored Will. He was a Watcher and could keep us safe…or so I thought. I learned to love him. Joy was a nice bonus."

Spike shook his head holding his son's head in his lap. "You got married to give Will a father? I would have been his father. I always wanted family…you could have learned to love me again."

"That was seven years ago Spike. You were traipsing through Russia at the time…and Druscilla was still on your arm. I wasn't about to let that woman anywhere near my son," she ground out. 

"Our son!" he snapped back. 

Gabriella picked her son up and laid him on the coach in the training room. She touched his forehead softly before kissing it. Turning back to Spike she stated clearly, "My son! No one else's. I am the one the Powers gave extra strength too to be able to handle him. I am the one that has cared for him his whole life. I am the one that has been on the run to protect him from all those out there that wish to kill the 'freak'! I appreciate the fact that now that you have a soul you feel cheated by not knowing him, but I did what was best for my son."

Spike stood up strolling to her angry, "My soul has nothing to do with feeling cheated. You were my everything. You made me look at all the parts of myself that were still human. You made me strive for the light. You are the reason I haven't gone absolutely insane with this chip because I already knew how to feed without victims. We would have worked it out…you should have at least tried. And I have been 'chipped' for the last couple years and without Dru even longer. You could have told me then."

Gabriella dodged all relationship questions. "Why? Will was in school doing well. He had a father that he called Dad. He had a baby sister he loved more then life. Adding you to the mix would have only confused things. Besides Will always could have reached you and he chose not to. I respected that… That is why he's pissed now. I took away his choice. He didn't want to face you…not yet."

Spike growled getting so close to her that his cold breath hit her face. "You are avoiding the point! Why didn't I know you were alive?"

"Did you ever stop to think maybe I thought you wanted me gone? Maybe the fact that you took up with Druscilla again showed me where I stood. Maybe I didn't know she told you I was dead… You didn't make an effort to find me, so I thought you didn't want to," she growled back. 

Spike was too mad to really listen, "You come here now because of another man's child and expected me to help."

"No…I came here to stop the end of the world! I came here to give you a shot at being a good father! I came here to give you the chance to see the boy that has been responsible for saving your life time and time again!"

"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" Spike spat.

"Do you honestly believe you could have survived a 'god's torture without help? Do you think that your heart was unaffected by his soul? Do you think for one second that every moment of everyday since he has been born you haven't benefited from his love? He is the reason you're still here. He is the reason she can't kill you. He is the reason you want an actual life. You owe your son everything," Gabriella laid it out plainly. Spike's eyes were wide with surprise. "He has bore your pain. He has chosen. He loves you even though he's never met you before. You want pure unadulterated affection. You have it. His name is William after you or more accurately your human side. Your soul. Your love. Everything good in you before and after your death resides in him."

Spike stared at his son kneeling beside him. He gazed on all his features and saw himself…or at least what he remembered of what he looked like. A tidal wave of emotions crashed over him. Love…He loved this boy…his son just like he loved Gabriella. It was so intense it hurt. A tear rolled down his face completely in awe. 

"You have no idea how weird it is love someone so much that looks like someone you should hate," she whispered. Spike's eyes came back to Gabriella. "He would do these little things. His smirk, his eyebrow raise that were so you and still him. It was so confusing to love him so much… He was such a little hellion. The first time he bit someone in anger I went to punish him and he was doing your pouting sulky thing. I had to laugh. I could just hear you say, 'The Wanker deserved it!' I held him to me and cried… You were so good to me…I just…"

Spike got off his knees and drew Gabriella into his arms. "Shhh…" he hushed. "I'll do whatever I can to help. You're my family," he said lightly as Gabriella began to sob. "Don't have to be strong right now… Let me take it." She fell apart clutching him with all her strength. He sat them down on the floor resting her head to his shoulder wrapping his arms around her middle.

TBC…


	2. Sorting Out

Sorting out

Author: Joy

Email: Julianna@ziplip.com

Joy stood at the door watching wearily as Buffy did the same. "He loves my mummy," the child said.

"It appears so," Buffy answered without thinking. 

The child's eyes turned up. "You hurt my brother very much. You hurt his father very much. He came here to make peace. Allow him that."

"Excuse me?" the slayer questioned. 

"All he ever wanted was to love you. Now he has a son to give his love to. Don't interfere," Joy spoke clipped. Buffy gazed at the child. "Yes Buffy I can read minds. Even vampires. I am older then my years and I do possess great power… I cannot help what I am any more than you can." The child tilted her head considering the slayer. "You had your chance. Your time has past."

"But he got his soul to give me what I deserve," she said quickly.

"And you still did not accept it. Maybe now what you deserve is to be separated from a man who loved you no matter what…that man you had no reason to turn away. Maybe now you deserve to be alone. Maybe now you deserve to watch him be happy without you," the child said icily. Then with big eyes she said, "Or maybe you do deserve to be loved by a man with a soul…but you can't let yourself. Maybe he has sought and gained redemption as a free gift from the Powers. Maybe he is no longer bound to you. Maybe you can be content with his love as a friend." 

Buffy was awed, "Maybe."

The child's blue eyes stared deep into Buffy's, "Maybe he won't be gone long."

"Spike loves whole hearted. If he chooses to love her I haven't a prayer."

"You still don't understand him. That is why you haven't a prayer," Joy said quietly. "Your beloved made my mummy and abandoned her to be killed because he felt guilty. Spike found her and took her in. Her soul never bothered him, nor did the fact she didn't hunt. He accepted her as she was, 'flaws' and all. That is what he has always offered you and you have laughed in his face. Mummy will not do that. She has always loved him, more than my daddy. She loved my daddy but not as much, because Will's daddy took care of her until she could care for herself. He cared for you and you hated him for it…I would imagine it is easier to love my mummy than to love you."

"I imagine so too," Buffy answered watching Spike pet and comfort Gabriella kissing her forehead. Joy reached her hand up and led Buffy away from the door. 

 "Shhh…" Spike soothed rocking Gabriella back and forth. "You did this when your grandfather died."

"I remember… I wailed on his grave so angry. I beat on your chest all my anger and frustration. I was supposed to be in the ground but I wasn't. It didn't take me long to dissolve in your arms," she sniffled. 

"See I let you beat on me too," he whispered.

"Not the same. I hit your chest with human strength only maybe three times. Not the same at all," she answered. 

"I guess not," Spike nodded looking Gabriella full in the eyes pushing her long blond hair past her ear. He let his fingers slid through it. She was breath taking and she was alive…at least as alive as a vampire can be. "We made love for the first time that night…You trusted me."

Gabriella looked down. "Don't start something here Spike. I can't take it. I lived in the shadow of another woman the three years I was with you. I really don't feel like doing it again. Besides I have kids to worry about. I am not able just to act blindly."

"You were never in the shadow of anyone. You shone brightly all by yourself. I'm sorry if in your mind you rewrote our history. I'm sorry that things ended the way they did. I never wanted you to believe you weren't important to me or that you were some stop in the road. I can promise you if I had had the choice I would have chosen you."

Ella laughed, "You don't know that. You just think that because of what has happened since then."

Spike gazed at her intently, "I thought you left me. Dru thought I would just fall back into her arms."

"That's exactly what you did!" Gabriella spat. 

"No… I didn't take her back. I bitched and moaned and waited for you to come home. Yeah I wanted to hurt you because you left me…but I wanted you more. Dru realized I wasn't coming around in fact despite my anger I started to look for you. That's when she coped to killing you. You hadn't left me; she had killed you… I mourned you then hurt her over and over for what she had supposedly done to you. Things I'm not proud of at all… Eventually I saw the killing of a rival as a sighed of love and commitment from her…I know its psychotic but… I was lonely without you," he spoke softly.

Gabriella took in all he had said. His account did make sense with what she knew of his actions. She worried her lip and gazed at Spike with almost child like innocence. She wanted to believe him.

"One kiss Ella. Just to see if there is still something there," he whispered very close to her mouth. 

"You know there is something still there or we wouldn't be here… like this," she responded.

"Please," he pled. "You're alive and real…You have no idea the knots you're tying me in." 

Her eyes flitted to his mouth for a second before Spike kissed Gabriella's lips. It was so soft and sweet you would wonder if it even happened. "How do you do this to me? I haven't seen you in nearly twenty years and I'm coming undone."

She licked her lips briefly causing a brief groan from Spike. "I know you are dealing with a lot with the whole soul issue but I don't think I can do this. I'm not rejecting you Spike. God knows I would love to say you have no affect on me, but you do. You were the place I felt safe when it mattered most… I just don't think it's smart to pick whatever we had up when you still are in love with another woman. I've been there and done that with you before. I will always lose. I can't afford to lose this time. I have to think about Joy and Will."

Spike gazed his full at Gabriella before drawing her into another kiss. This time it wasn't as chaste or sweet. It was hungry. His tongue caressed hers in a way that made her quake. "I can wait," he whispered before kissing her nose. On their feet they were about to head into the store. Spike stopped facing her once more. "For the record…that is not what happened last time."

"Alright then what did happen last time?" Gabriella questioned.

Spike loved her spirit. "Man…I've been trying to figure out for two years why I fell for Buffy. I have been trying to put together why I would love my mortal enemy. It didn't make sense… Now its obvious." 

"If you don't want me to think you are in love with another woman you are doing a hell of a job!" she snapped.

He smirked. "It was never her… It was you. It was always you… You were dust but I found someone with the same spunk…same passion. I kept trying to make her see me like you did. But it didn't work because she wasn't you… I am a complete prat." Spike shook his head as he began to pace. "I kept trying to convince myself she was in love with me…but it was you that had loved me. I wanted her to accept me because you had… It never occurred to me that I was trying to force her to be you." 

They reentered the store. Giles sipped on tea, while Anya and Xander attempted to not look at one another. Willow of course was de-toxing with a group of Wiccas. Buffy snagged Spike as they entered the room. He looked at her suspiciously. They had tried to talk a few times but it always ended badly.

"For what its worth, I'm sorry for the way I treated you last year. I messed up and hurt you because I was afraid. Seeing what my words did to… your son… I had treated you like a person in the past. I should have… I was wrong for what… Oh hell. I'm sorry," Buffy finally snapped frustrated with herself and him. 

"We hurt each other…a lot. I am just as much at fault for him as you are… I wasn't listening to what you were telling me. I should have listened when you said being with me was killing you…and before that." He sighed, "I was trying to make you someone you weren't… I know I groveled a lot when I got back so I'm hoping you know how sorry I am about everything."

Buffy heard the underlying finality. "You're going to leave."

He considered her a moment, "I have a promise to fulfill that predates you and Nibblet. I can't turn my back on that… Will seems to like London. Maybe once this is all done I can go home."

"England?" she grimaced at the thought. She came so close to saying she needed him…but not close enough. 

"If you need me you can ring me… Besides I haven't a bloody clue if Ella would even let me come with once this is through."

"You love her," Buffy said with a great deal of hurt.

Spike hurt because of the look on his slayer's face, "She was my sunshine before I wanted to stand in the light… I could always be gentle but she was the first and only person that required it. Dru wasn't always weak Buffy. The care I showed her Gabriella brought out in me. Any part of me you have ever regarded as good she nurtured." Buffy's expression didn't change. "I loved her before I met her. I loved while she was learning to stand on her own and when she was in my arms. I loved her after she died…or at least I thought she died."

The slayer nodded slowly,  "She's who you were trying to 'make me be' isn't she?" Spike nodded shamefaced. Buffy looked at Gabriella holding Joy in her arms introducing her to each person. "She seems like someone I should be honored to be like… Tough. Intelligent. Beautiful. Smartass" Spike smiled. Buffy looked at him clearly for the first time since the night she jumped. "Be happy Spike. Love someone who can love you back without guilt or worry."

"Buffy…"

"I know you'll always love me and Dawn. I think you'll probably even love the rest of Scoobies too. Come home occasionally," she said with a smile. 

He wrapped his arms around her briefly, "Thank you pet. You have no idea the gift you've given me."

"I think I do," Buffy answered. Gabriella listened to the discussion discreetly. Maybe he hadn't been lying after all.

"Mummy, the great man is getting depressed and angry. We need to find him. Water is leaking in. He's…Mummy," the little girl pled. 

"The great man?" Giles inquired.

"That's what she calls him…the man's eyes she sees through or in this case the vampire's eyes she sees through," Gabriella explained. "Joy could you go wake Will up and keep him company." She nodded and left the grown ups. 

Gabriella shook her head, "I got a compliant child and a hellion. What a combo?"

"Great man?" Spike asked this time. 

"Angelus… He's taller than her daddy. He's taller than Will's daddy," Ella motioned her arms over to Spike. "She saw a cartoon with 'Frankenstein' in it. She pointed at the screen all excited…that was who she saw in her dreams. We settled on the great man because he was the great big man in her visions and I didn't want her to get confused about calling him Angel and the Angels in heaven since he really isn't the most noble fellow."

"Might want to watch what you say," Xander warned. 

"It's okay… She's right. She hasn't seen him be noble," Buffy stated.

"Thank you."

"You welcome… Now what was that about water leaking in?"

"You need to sit down for this." Everyone sat as instructed. "Joy was born able to see Angelus's life and through his eyes, I guess since he's my sire. Normally we just let activities pass… Charlie…my husband Charles…" Spike drew into himself as if pained. "He did some research for Wesley on Connor Angel's son. There is a prophecy that Angelus was going to kill the boy. Wes took the child to save it. Everything erupted… Wesley got his throat slashed. This guy Angelus had tortured, killing his whole family, even turning his daughter, whisked Connor away to a demon dimension. Anyway Angelus tried to kill Wes. No one talking to Wesley even though he was trying to protect the baby… Maybe I am just an idiot because of how Angelus treated me…" 

Gabriella paused, "Anyway Connor came back as a teenager, completely warped. Hates anything demon without exception or question. No gray at all. The guy that took him came back too. I don't know how or why but someone faked the old guy's death and told the kid Angelus did it. Connor believed it hook, line and sinker. Instead of killing Angelus soldered his limbs to this steel reinforced box. Angelus is basically sealed in a glass box unable to free himself at the bottom of some body of water. I'm guessing the Pacific."

"Why don't his friends find him?" Anya questioned.

"Vision girl is well…transcended. I got that one in a dream. Wesley no one is talking to while his other employees have no idea where he is," Gabriella explained.

"How is this linked to the end of the world?" Xander asked getting a glare from Buffy. "Hey…I'm not saying we wouldn't help Angel I just wanted to know how it connected."

"Connor… He is…He's like the other half to Joy. He was born to two vampire parents. Joy has one. His father is my sire… I don't know how it all works but I do know is truly Connor is the only one that can protect Joy. Joy can destroy the world. He can counter balance her…like she can with him. I can reach out with my mind and get sort of close to Angelus…but with Spike we should be able to go out and get him fairly quickly. Once we have Angelus, he and I should be able to find Connor with a little help from Joy if need be. Once we find Connor we need a way to get him to accept Joy…Beyond that I'm not sure."

"Why was your husband killed?" Buffy asked simply.

"He's the one that uncovered prophecy about Joy. Once he started putting the pieces together it seemed very much like the Council's offer to school Joy was an attempt to control something powerful. He knew if I got Joy to Connor that power was less controllable. Why I'm not sure… Charlie managed to tell me what I needed before he died," Gabriella stated firmly. 

"Do you have the prophecy?" Giles inquired.

Gabriella handed over some tattered pieces of paper. "If I can borrow Spike and Buffy from the Hellmouth until we find Angelus I would be so grateful… And if you could keep working on that I think it would help too."

"How long do you think you'll be gone?" Giles asked quickly.

"If we leave now we can be in LA in a few hours. I have a fishing boat on stand by for the next two days. We could have them back by tomorrow evening." Spike looked confused and frustrated at Ella's statement. 

"Will and Joy can stay at our house," Dawn suggested. "Whose going to come looking for her with another Watcher in the house? They would assume Giles would squeal."

Gabriella turned to Spike. She spoke to him in a demonic language none of the rest could understand. "Do you think they will be safe?"

"Will, yes. Joy, I'm not sure. Dawn is probably right about the Watchers. Joy also would help supply proof to Angel…though he probably will believe based on the fact we'll find him… We're going to need a whole lot of blood. Especially if Angel has been down there for a while."

"Covered…"

Spike's face went soft for a moment and said, "Let's keep the kids with us." Gabriella swallowed at his seriousness. "I'd like to see if he'll accept me."

Her large blue eyes met his. "I'll ask Will. We've been a team for years now. I do my best to give him choices when I can. There are so many things he has no control over I like giving him some."

"You're a good mum."

"Thank you."

Gabriella walked into the training room leaving the Scoobies staring after her. Will sat with Joy on his lap bouncing her up and down. He looked away ashamed and annoyed. "I'm going to have a bruise," he gripped.

"No you won't… We can't afford to have you in the hospital for burns again," Brie stated. "Here's the deal guys, Buffy and Spike are going to come with me to get…the great man. You can stay here or you can come with. Your choice." Will looked at Joy. "Your father would like you to come with us."

"Don't call him that!" Will snapped.

Gabriella got close to her son. "Charlie knew how much you loved him. Trying to be closer to Spike isn't going to change that. I know this isn't the way you wanted to meet him but we're here now… He's not going to try to take Charlie's place or be your dad. If he ever tells you not to do something it will be a safety issue."

"You still love him don't you?"

Ella smiled, "How could I not? I love you. You have a lot of him in you."

"He hasn't been there. He never tried to find us," Will pled.

Gabriella sighed, "The woman that chased me around while I was pregnant, she told your dad she killed me. He had no reason to come looking… He did wait for me to return at the beginning and then he did start to look. Dru didn't want him to find me and possibly believe me when I said you were his. So therefore I died in her account."

"You believe him?!" the teen snapped. "He is just using…"

"Will… I believe him. You didn't see his face when he first saw me. You didn't see the way he held me to himself to make sure I was real."

Spike stood close enough to the door to listen to the conversation. "What's he doing?" Dawn asked Buffy.

The slayer sighed, "He's finding out if his son is going to give him a chance." She swallowed. "Maybe before we leave or if he stays you could tell Will about all the time you spent together."

"He's not coming back, is he?" the teen asked quietly.

"Maybe not."

"Mummy," Joy said quietly. "He has a pretty soul. He loves you a lot."

Gabriella closed her eyes. "What do you think baby? Should we trust him?" Joy's opinion was the only one that would matter to Will.

"I think we can trust him… I think he'll need to make peace with some things here." She looked at her big brother. "He wants to love me, Will. Do you understand?"

"No."

The child's eyes held her brother's, "He loves mummy. He's loved her from the moment he saw her. He fell in love with you as his son as you lay sleeping. He looks at me and wants to raise me to be his baby girl. He wants the chance to be my daddy and raise his own Nibblet… Now do you understand?"

"But Dad just died!" Will sniffled.

Little hands held his cheeks, "Daddy loved us and we loved him. But he's not coming back. William you always wanted to know your dad. Now you can… I'm going to give him a chance and I'm not his little girl. Let's go on the trip and see what happens."

Will swallowed and nodded. Joy hugged him close. Gabriella let a couple tears fall. "Alright… now what about Buffy? How are you going to handle that?" Will squeezed his eyes shut. "It might help you to put it behind you."

"She's not allowed to talk to me," Will said stiffly. "Not unless its something nice."

"That's fair under the circumstances," Gabriella said. "Okay get yourselves together while I get things in order." Both children nodded.

Spike rejoined the group before Ella came in. "I saw that," she snickered in a demonic language. Spike looked at her as if to say, 'What? Me?' "Will and Joy are going to come with us. Thank you for the offer Dawn. We may need to take you up on it on the return trip."

"Um…I should get a change of clothes. Water has a tendency to like me," Buffy commented.

"Fine…Joy needs to eat and so do I. Is there a place we can get blood?" Gabriella asked.

"I'll take care of you luv," Spike insisted. "I need to get stuff from my crypt anyway." 

Brie nodded slightly, "My car's in the back."

"It's not a long walk."

"In the cemetery… with my five 1/2 year old daughter?" Gabriella questioned. "I think not. We're driving."

Spike smirked, "Yes Ma'am!" In the language they were speaking earlier he said, "God I love you." She faced him a little stunned. "I missed you too." 

Brie rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Car!" the mom called to her children who scrambled out the door. 

"Be back soon," Spike said to the Scoobies. Buffy and Dawn walked to the back door to exit as well. 

Spike ran up behind Joy and picked her up tickling her sides. "You're silly," the little girl cooed at him as she touched both sides of his face with her little hands. 

"Can be," he responded.

"You're pretty," she said scrunching her nose up. "You look like Will."

Will stood at the shotgun door. "I…am not pretty," he insisted.

"See pet, for boys you say they're handsome," Spike instructed opening the side door of the minivan.

Dawn looked at Buffy, "Did you ever think you would see the day when Spike would be playing with a little girl and get into a minivan without a complaint?"

Buffy's heart hurt. "No… I never did. Then again I never thought I'd see the day when the thought of Spike leaving Sunnydale would hurt me."

Dawn put her arm around her sister. "Let's get your things."

TBC…


	3. Family

Family

Author: Joy

Email: Julianna@ziplip.com

A/N: All right guys I have had no… I repeat no reviews. I have never had a story un-reviewed. As you can see I am quite upset by this fact. I realize this isn't a Buffy/Spike story but darn it I think it's a good story. PLEASE REVIEW.

Spike challenged Will to see if he could direct them to his crypt. Will did a fairly good job getting there but once they got to the door he froze. "I can't," he whispered. He clamped his eyes shut and worked his jaw.

"Look at me," Spike whispered putting his hand on the back of his son's head. "Everything that you have seen that has hurt you…all the words that have been spoken…all of the awful things I have done are mine. They have nothing to do with you. Buffy's words were to me…not you. You aren't a monster or disgusting."

Will stared into his father's eyes. "You weren't a monster either when she said them. Cocky, yes…Monster, no."

It was Spike's turn to close his eyes to regain his composure. "Thank you," he said in the barest whisper. "If you don't want to go in that is fine. Nothing really bad happened on the first floor."

Will chuckled, "That is a matter of opinion… I'd say having sex with that twit on the sarcophagus ranks as a really bad thing."  
            Gabriella had Joy on her hip as she turned to glare at Spike. "Hey kid, give me a break please. This soul is kind of new. I really would rather your mum not be apprised of all of my shortcomings at once," Spike whispered.

"Don't worry. She's been apprised of your shortcomings all the way along. Mum did her best to explain to me half the things you did in the bedroom as I was growing up so I wouldn't be warped for life," Will snickered. "I'm not going to lose my cherry for a while just so I can learn some control. I really don't want my tastes to mimic yours."

Spike slightly glared at his son sideways, "Watch some telly." Will just smirked.

Gabriella was already getting blood for Joy and herself. "Do you need some?" she asked holding two packets. 

Spike's breath caught in his throat. Home. Family. Love. Something domestic like getting blood was so… Spike just opened and closed his mouth. "She's not going to sleep with you," Will said in his father's ear. "Don't go pushing it."

Spike shook his head. "Yeah Brie I could use some food." She grabbed a third packet and closed the refrigerator door with her hip. 

"Don't!" Will hissed. Spike looked at him in confusion. "I'm in your head remember. I see what you see. I feel what you feel… Right now you are having serious nesting feelings for mum. We can't afford that right now."  
            "Do you feel that I love your mum?" Spike inquired.

"Hey…Not the issue. I knew you loved her before we got here."

"Why didn't you tell her that? She's believed that I didn't."

Will smirked, "Would you believe your twelve year old son if he said that his biological father loved you when he was already back together with his sire when you tried to see him?"

"She tried to see me?" Spike questioned.

"Yeah you prat! She was six months pregnant when Druscilla stopped chasing her. By her seventh month she gathered the courage to make you believe it was your baby she was carrying and you were with Druscilla. If memory serves she walked on you two having sex. After seeing that she never looked back."

Spike felt hollow inside. "Spike?" Gabriella called. He looked up quietly. "Go get your stuff," she chided. "And your blood is in this mug." She hummed as she filled an ice chest to take some blood with them.

"Get your stuff," Will said quietly. "You can regret and feel guilty when we're on the road."

Gabriella climbed down the latter to the lower level of the crypt. "Spike?" An explosion had occurred in the lower area she remembered Will saying but Ella was unprepared to see Spike sitting on his charred bed with his head in his hands. "Spike?" He looked up sadly. "What's wrong?" she whispered sitting down beside him. 

"Just the last eighteen years of my life," he grumbled. She looked at him queerly. "I should have felt you somehow… I shouldn't have believed her. I should never have taken up with her again… To know how close I came to having you and Will in my life and yet missing it because I was too stupid and lonely to resist…" he growled. Spike sunk his head back in his hands. "I could have…"

Gabriella tentatively reached her hand out to stroke his hair. Spike closed his eyes relishing the feeling of her touch. He leaned into it and purred. "Ella please…" he whimpered raising his eyes to hers. She saw all the love Will had told her Spike had for her and acted. She leaned in slowly resting her hand on the side of his face before kissing Spike lightly. 

He held her hand to his face and reached to her stomach with his other hand. "I missed seeing you grow big with my child," he whispered stroking her stomach. "I didn't get to hold your hand and take your curses as you gave birth. And more than anything I didn't get to see that boy grow up."

"You're here now," she whispered intertwining their fingers on his face. 

He stared at her hard. "I love you Gabriella. That didn't stop just because you were dead."

"I know…I know that now… I…" she stopped. "We need to go."

Spike held onto Brie for all his worth. "Please…I desperately need to hear you finish that statement," he said with pleading eyes. "You think you need to not love me because of being in the shadow of another woman…but there is no shadow. I need for a woman I love to love me back."

"That was never a problem with me. I always adored you."

"But how do you feel about me now?"

She could see how much he needed her affirmation. "I love you Spike. I have from the moment you collected me in your arms and tended to me…And I never stopped loving you either."

He wrapped his arms around Gabriella's middle and held her to himself. He made no move to up the intimacy only holding her tightly. As the tension in his body subsided so did the strength of his grip. With his head in the crook of her neck he heard her say, "I have videos and pictures I kept for me…and you… if you ever wanted to see them." He looked up. "I have Will's first step on camera and his first word…"

It was more than he could take. Spike put both hands on Gabriella's cheeks and kissed her, not terribly hard but not soft either. One hand slipped to behind her head and the other to her hip. For her part, Ella was becoming wrapped up in the moment. Spike began to urge her to sit in his lap, which she did willingly sliding her fingers in his hair. Their mouths kept meeting over and over nipping at each other's lips. When Gabriella deepened the kiss Spike groaned. He pulled away much to her confusion. Their eyes met, "Marry me?"

"Excuse me?" she said quickly licking her lips.

He could see this would be a tough sell. "You know me. I am faithful. If I pledge eternity, I mean it. I'm not going to let you go again, not without a fight."

"You are insane…You're still in love with Buffy," she insisted.

"I'm still in love with you…that predates anything else. You saw me tonight. I went directly for you. I didn't hesitate because Buffy was in the room. You were my focus…only you… Buffy and I aren't a thing. It was a proposition that hurt us both. I told you before I was trying to make her you…not the other way around," Spike claimed.

Gabriella shook her head to clear it. "I'm sorry you're lonely Spike but…"

"Damnit this has nothing to do with being lonely. Yeah I've been lonely and I have made some really stupid mistakes because of it…but this isn't one of them." He paused holding her loosely around the waist. "They say confession is good for the soul so here is mine: I was going to claim you…if you would have let me."

"What are you talking about?" Gabriella questioned.

Spike sighed, "The night you disappeared I had this whole big fancy thing made up for us. I was going to take you to that play you wanted to go to. Nice normal human date…flowers and all. I was going to tell you I wanted to be your mate not just your lover. But you didn't come home. Hours went by and I was so scared that something had happened. I searched till dawn then had to wait to search again until the next evening. I went nuts looking for you…"

Brie nodded, "I used the light of day to my advantage to get the hell out of dodge… Maybe that's why she came. She knew your were going to claim another."

"Probably…She did try to push the topic with me but…I didn't," he said looking down at Gabriella's lap. 

There was a very long period of silence where only the TV upstairs could be heard. "I still want you to be my wife…I still want to be Will's dad."

"It would need to wait until…" her words stopped as Spike's shocked expression met her. "What?"

"I can't believe you're agreeing…" A thought struck him, "You would marry me to give your children a father again."

She almost laughed out right. "That's why you're asking isn't. I mean you haven't seen me in twenty years. I've changed a lot. You were wanting to be a father," Gabriella stated clearly.

His face contorted in pain. "You don't love me…you just want a father for your children."

She smirked and shook her head knowing his ego was too fragile but needed him to understand. "It was good enough for you before when I told you about marrying Charlie!" Spike growled and went to push her off his lap. She didn't let him budge. "What do you want?"

"I want you to love me," he said angrily.

"I do…What else do you want?"

"I want you to love me… But you don't."

Gabriella rolled her eyes, "Stop whining… Lord help me." At her words the silver cross that hung around her neck began to glow. Spike looked at it suspiciously then into her eyes; they were glowing as well. 

"What's going on Ella?" Spike whispered.

"Shh…" she hushed. "Kiss me."

"The cross will burn me," he exclaimed in fear.

"Kiss me."

Spike leaned in and kissed Gabriella lightly. A cool tingling sensation swept over his whole body. He felt the silver make contact with his skin but it didn't burn. In fact it felt cold. Gabriella ran her hands down Spike shoulders and then up his neck. "Breathe," she whispered and he gasped for air. 

Just as when he gained his own soul he saw all the acts he had committed in his life…he saw Gabriella's life. He saw her human life and its untimely death at the hands of an intoxicated Angel. Spike cringed as he watched her body be beaten and violated as she fought for her life. And then her life slipped away. Angel departed and Spike, himself appeared on the scene to take pity on the broken girl. 

Images flashed of their first few months together, the discovery of her soul and the night they first made love. Memories of the three years they shared came and went before Spike's eyes. Suddenly he saw himself and Gabriella making love very slowly and deliberately. Over and over Spike told her how much he loved her and wanted to be with her forever. He remembered that night…It was during those moments that Spike had decided to claim Gabriella. The scene shifted to the instant she first heard Will's rapid heartbeat inside her womb. He saw the minute that Druscilla began to chase Gabriella away from him and around the world. Life continued to change as he watched his love grow around with child, whispering to it about him. He saw her battles with Druscilla and then peace. Spike watched as Gabriella gathered courage over four weeks to come back to him only to walk in on him and Dru having sex. Spike felt the heartbreak she had felt as well as the grief that her son would never know his father. 

The year progressed as Will was born growing fast, small canines biting at his mother. Bottles of warm blood to feed him. Temper tantrums and fear. Spike saw Gabriella's breaking point on her knees in her old Anglican Church in front of the cross. He witnessed the absolute surrender of self. Gabriella spoke with Oracles about the strength of their son. A great silver light wash over her body as the Yellow beings traced hands around her. Gabriella's eyes were anointed. The scene shifted again as Gabriella handled a five year old Will after he had bitten a playmate with his baby fangs. People ran them out of town. Suddenly Will had nightmares about his father's life. Another trip to the Oracles teaching Will to control the images as best he could. 

Spike observed as time past quickly bonding the mother and child. Then moment came when Will and Gabriella met Charlie. He saw their wedding and his son fall in love with his new dad. Spike ached for what he had missed but continued to watch. A couple months of trust and family were built up before the marriage was consummated. He saw Gabriella's body grow with child again. Joy was born. Will loved his little sister doting on her. There were moments of martial peace and bliss. Joy levitated toys in her crib and changed the temperature in rooms. The nightmares began and press upon the little mind as they had her brother. Another trip to the Oracles, this time with much confusion and fuss. Joy was not an expected visitor. Once again the child was taught to shut out thoughts and memories as best she could. 

Years past of happiness. Subtle conversations about himself were had with Will and Gabriella on the teen's request. He saw his son research him in the Watcher journals. Spike was ready to scream as he beheld Will get sick over things he had done. Such shame both William and his father suffered in that moment. 

Will began to have more visions and nightmares as did Joy. Church organs and falling objects were particularly terrifying. Joy saw dead fish and drawings. The child watched her mother be beaten, raped, and murdered as if she were committing the acts. She would try to scratch out her eyes to stop the images. 

Will started to see things he didn't understand when life to came to an abrupt pinnacle as Spike got his chip. It seemed was almost unable to filter his father's thoughts from his own. His body bore wounds that were never inflicted…and it kept on like that. There were slight reprieves when Will would be happy. Spike had been thinking about Gabriella. 

Joy began to vacillate between grown up in a child's body and a little girl. She observed life with a newness that was enviable and an agedness that spoke heavy of her young heart. And of course the nightmares and visions continued. 

Will took a turn for the worse when Spike and Buffy slept together. Spike saw his son sitting on his bed rocking back and forth chanting Buffy's words. Then the self-mutilation started as well as the water burns. Gabriella and Charlie tried their best to help him deal but the teen completely withdrew. 

The Council slowly closed in on the family. Spike saw Gabriella holding Charlie's head as he took his last breath. Unbeknownst to the Watchers the family was in the process of moving so making a run for it wasn't as hard as it could have been. The trip winded down as Spike observed the family traveling across the United States. 

Spike gasped once again seeing Gabriella in front of him on his lap. "Beats words doesn't it?" she said softly. "You've seen it all now… Is there ever a minute in that whole period that you couldn't feel my love for you?"

The vampire sat quietly. Whatever Gabriella had done he could think back on moments as if it were he that experienced them. On her wedding day she imagined it was Spike she was vowing her life to. And the night the relationship was consummated Gabriella lay on her back with Charlie asleep on her chest playing with his hair while she remembered the night she and Spike had created Will. Gabriella had made the best choices she could and learned to love her husband. 

With a cleansing sigh Spike said, "I love you Gabriella…" He gazed at her a second. "It was right eighteen years ago and it is right now. I want to be your mate. I'll take you anyway I can get you."

"What will you tell Buffy?" Ella said pointedly.

"She and I talked about the fact that my commitment to you predates my commitment to Dawn and she. Buffy has given me her blessing," Spike stated diplomatically. 

"We will have to talk to the kids before anything happens."

"Sure…"

Gabriella nodded a bit, "Okay then…pack! We need to get back to the Magic Box."

Before she got too far away Spike gripped Ella's sides, "I won't push our relationship past where you're comfortable."

"What does that mean?"

"It means I won't be asking you into my bed… I will simply ask you to add me to your family."

"Your already family Spike," Gabriella insisted. 

"But I want to be your mate…more importantly your husband in the eyes of everyone," he found himself saying. 

"We'll talk to the kids."

"Lead the way."

"Packing first!"

Spike smirked, "No…this first."

At the top of the latter waited Will as his parents came up. "You… I told you not to push," the teen addressed Spike. 

"Will?" Gabriella got her son's attention. They stared at one another for a long period of time before Will nodded.

"What did you just do?" Spike whispered.

Gabriella smirked, "Used one of the gifts I was given to manage our son."

Joy came skipping up to Spike and tugged on his pants leg harshly. "Yes?"

"Do you want to be my new daddy?" she asked quickly.

"Alright guys…I know you know how much I loved your dad," Gabriella addressed her children, "but I do love Spike as well. I believe that had a few things not happened we would have all been a family anyway." Joy and Will both nodded. "So…Spike has asked to marry me and join our family."

"Dad just died," Will insisted. 

"That is why I started with 'you know how much I loved your dad.' Will I can't guess how things would have been different if I had either stuck around or told Spike immediately I was pregnant. The more time I spend thinking about the past the more I realize your father would have known I wouldn't cheat on him. For one thing he was the only man I had ever slept with and that was a huge deal." Spike smiled. She knew he wouldn't have hurt her or questioned her. No human man had ever touched her nor could she have been pregnant by Angel. He would have taken it as a crazy miracle. Spike would have put an ear to Gabriella's womb and heard his miraculous child.

"The point is had things been different we, Spike and I, would have been married. He was going to ask me the day I took off. Now the timing is psycho and such but… Guys I need your support on this…I know it may not seem connected but I really want to leave him in the bottom of the ocean. It makes me feel safe."

Will looked at his mother and sighed, "You're terrified of him aren't you?"

"He killed me Will. It's hard not to be."

"You are stronger than every other vampire we have ever faced. You have to know you could pop his head right off if you chose to Mum."

Gabriella shook her head; "This is beside the point… The situation will be very awkward. I would really like to have a united front when we see him. I really don't want to crumble."

Will stood next to his mother and put his hand on her shoulder, "You won't crumble. You have the fire of hell that burns behind your eyes. I have watched you lay waste to those who have hurt children. I have seen you enact justice when the courts have failed. I have watched you pummel abusive men into the ground to show them what it felt like. But more then anything I remember what you have done to child molesters…This man caused that rage to be in your soul. And more often than not you have used it well, but Mum you can't be scared of him. You can't give him that power over you."

Ella sighed and let her son hold her close. Spike envied his son's relationship with Gabriella. They were a pair. Always together…Will had seventeen years that Spike didn't. 

"Alright…Are we talking you will claim each other tonight…cause I really need to find a way to shut your thoughts out before you two go at it. That is just something no teen should ever have to imagine or see," Will commented.

"Now that I know you're there I should be able to close the door between us," Spike stated. He looked at his son and whispered in his mind /Can you hear me?/

"Of course I can hear you!" Will snipped and then there was silence. No internal monologue, no other thoughts. "Hey…cut it out. I'm used to you being in my head. Just butt out when you're having sex or something." Spike smirked. 

"We need to get back to Buffy," Joy said thoughtfully. "You need to pack. Once we get the great man then we'll get married." To the child Spike was marrying her family not just her mummy. 

Back at the car Spike threw his duffel in the back and made his way to the driver's window. He had his patented smile smirk thing going. Carefully he took Gabriella's left hand and kissed her knuckles. Slowly he slipped a beautiful aquamarine ring on her ring finger. Ella looked at him confusedly. He shrugged, "United front you said. Angelus will recognize the ring as my mother's. He will know what it means." 

Gabriella gave him a small smile and kissed him briefly. "Oh bloody hell! Just get in the blasted car ya Wanker. You can seduce mum at another time…not in front of me," Will griped. 

"He has quite a temper," Spike chuckled.

"You have no idea," Ella responded as Spike went round the car to sit in the back with Joy.

TBC…

A/N: Do I need to change the summary?


	4. Car Ride

Car ride

Author: Joy

Email: Julianna@ziplip.com

A/N: Review Please!

An hour later the quest for Angelus had begun. Will sat shotgun trying to put some physical space between his parents. Joy sat next to Spike in the second row of seats while Buffy took the rear. The van had specially made tinted windows and plastic panel between the front seats and the back that came down like an old movie screen so no direct sunlight could come in. Perfect for the vampire family on the go. Truth was Gabriella and her children didn't burst into flame in direct sunlight but extensive exposure did make them sick. 

The highway stretched in front of the travelers. Will began to play with the radio, wishing to distract his mother. He left the station playing an old eighties song, 'Don't you forget about me,' by Simple Minds. It was a song Gabriella loved and both her children knew the words to. Will got his wish, Ella became fixated on the song. When the first verse started Gabriella began to sing along. Will picked up at the chorus with little Joy picking up right after. 

Spike watched his love sing along with the radio with such joy. She was such a ham when she sang because she knew how to play to a crowd. Now she played to her children. When all three started to 'la la la' along in the song, he saw the enjoyment singing with their mother brought the kids. 

"Mum…CD…" Will offered handing her a disk. She eyed it for a second. 

"When did you make this?" she asked.

"While ago…Seems like a good time to hear my mummy sing."

Spike lean forward, "What'd he do?"

Gabriella cleared her throat, "He made a mixed CD of a bunch eighties music that I have a tendency to sing while driving… some other stuff too but you get the idea."

"I want to hear mummy sing," Joy put her two cents in.

"Buffy?" The slayer looked up. "Ya mind hearing me sing?"

"Go right ahead."

Gabriella sang Hit me with your best shot, American Pie, Sweet Dreams, and One way or another. Buffy marveled at how much fun Gabriella and her kids seem to have singing along to these old songs. Spike also appeared to get into the act stretching his vocal chords a bit. Buffy remembered how nice Spike's voice was from their Musical day. She had to admit he sounded much better harmonizing with Gabriella than laying his heart before her. 

Once the singing was finished Spike looked about the car at the occupants. Buffy was catching a few Z's as were Will and Joy. "Ella?" he whispered from behind her ear, he chose to sit directly behind her. He once again chose the demonic tongue to speak in just in case anyone was awake. Spike slid his hand down Gabriella's shoulder continuing down her arm. "I love the silk of your skin… I have missed you so."

Buffy's ears picked up Spike's voice whispering. She listened not understanding the words but the meaning was quite clear. Her former lover was running his hands up and down another woman's shoulders…he was seducing her.

"Spike!" Gabriella snipped in English. 

He responded in English as well, "What? I can't compliment my fiancée on her lovely ivory skin?"

Buffy's air caught in her throat… Fiancée… It was over. In fact it was more than over. Spike was completely oblivious to her presence. Since the moment this woman arrived not only was Buffy second choice…she really wasn't even noticed. With Druscilla around Buffy still had Spike's attention and vice versa. It wasn't as if either woman was invisible to him. Now invisible is what Buffy felt like. 

"Luv," Gabriella said sweetly. "I'm not sure when the claiming will take place but we should be prepared. If Dru was willing to kill me last time…I bet she may try again."

"She will be dust before she harms one hair on your or the children's head. I lost eighteen years of my life. In the great scheme of things that's not much but in the growth of a child that is huge…I thought there was nothing that Dru could do that would burn her entirely from my heart. I was wrong. Keeping me from my son and from his mother… She attacks. She is dust," Spike said solemnly. 

Buffy took in what Spike had said. If he were willing to dust Druscilla then that was it for Buffy. Maybe he would never stop loving her, but he would also never walk away from this woman. Buffy would have to be content with friendship because that was all that was left on the table. 

"The ring is beautiful, by the way. I'm proud to wear something of your mother's. She raised a good man," Gabriella whispered petting the hand that lay in her lap. 

Spike interlaced their fingers. "I have everything I could ever need and so much more than I ever hoped for."

"Still a poet deep down…I heard a bit of it in that last statement," she softly cooed. "Try your hand again William. I bet the 'Bloody awful poet' wasn't bloody awful at all. I bet that he was sweet and sensitive… and completely wonderful. See luv, you live now. And in these moments you are loved and accepted as yourself…even before the soul. I would imagine what will flow from your head and your heart now will be amazing." 

Spike tried to steady his breathing in an effort not to cry. Gabriella could sense it and chose to continue, "I love you William…the bloody awful poet of the past. I love you Spike…the impaler with railroad spikes. And I just love you…the man seated behind me. You are so much more then the titles others have given you. You are you. And I love that man… The man that has killed two slayers and also was willing to die for a teenage girl he loves so much she could be his own. I love the man that had a sex toy made of the woman he was obsessed with and also the man who took me on with no thought to self or reputation. I love the man who nearly raped his love and who fought to get his soul back. More than anything else I love the man that still looks at me the way he did twenty years ago as if a day hasn't past between us."

By the time she was done Spike had a couple tears rolling down his face. In a broken whisper he said, "Let Will drive."

"What?" she questioned. 

Spike breathed deeply, "I need to hold you close Gabriella. I need to feel you in my arms to know your real and not some new form of torture that will be taken from me momentarily."

"Lean to the right," she whispered. Spike released her hand and brought his face next to hers. When a long stretch of road with no cars began Gabriella turned to Spike and kissed him hungrily. "You get more of those later…Now we get there."

Spike wasn't giving up. "Let Will drive. We'll have Buffy play navigator and you and I can go in the backseat for a bit of a snog."

Gabriella laughed, "I've always hated that term." Spike gave her a wicked look. "No…Driving… Setting up at the hotel… Getting Angelus…No time to snog."

"Oh I will find time… When you least expect it I will steal you away to the laundry room or some such place," he kissed her cheek. 

"Sit back Romeo… We have miles to go before we sleep."

"Hey…I know there will be no premarital relations but can I slip into your room to snuggle up?"

"Spike…Go to sleep. All such things can be worried about later…" He kept looking at her so she continued. "Right now I would say no because of the kids but I don't know how bad I'm going to lose it once I see Angelus," Gabriella stated truthfully.

Spike shook his head, "You aren't going to lose it."

"You don't understand… Once I find Connor I am all too willing to let him sink Angelus back into the ocean," she confessed. 

"What are you going to do once you find Connor?"

She sighed, "Make sure Angelus is far away but the kids are at hand. You should probably be far away too. The soul thing doesn't seem to effect his judgment on vamps, just that they are a vamp."

"Doesn't that put you at risk?" Spike questioned.

"Yeah…but if I walk up to him in direct sunlight with a bible in hand and a cross around my neck I think I have a fair shot getting through to him. Holtz…the guy that raised him twisted Christianity and vengeance together, not unlike the Crusaders. I'm going to bet that he is having visions too. Having someone who can tell him he isn't a vampire but he isn't all-human might work. If he can physically see I'm not damned then he probably will believe it for himself."

"Thought this all out?" Spike quipped.

"I've been seeing through Connor's eyes periodically. At first I got very confused because there were these two lives separate but intertwined…Connor and Holtz. I could see them both. Then they were both just gone. Abruptly they both came back now completely entwined. I know that Holtz had one of his followers kill him in order to make it look like Angelus did it, so the boy would be turned from him forever or at least would kill him. Connor is a lot like any other teenage boy, full of insecurities and an orphan to boot… I think because of what Angelus did to me I'll have enough common ground to work with him," Gabriella said.

"Are you going to tell Connor that Holtz's death was a set up?" Spike asked.

"Not right away… And you aren't going to tell anyone either. The last thing I need is to have this kid accuse me of lying to him about his father's death. Once he sees we can be trusted then I'll tell him that Angelus didn't kill his father. I don't think I'll ever mention the manipulation. As long as he realizes Angelus isn't responsible for the death then there really is no need to corrupt his view of the only father he ever had."

Buffy had listened keenly to the conversation especially the end. At first she was pissed off but then could see the validity in not bursting the kid's bubble. How often do you find out you were raised by your biological parent's archenemy as weapon against them? Why not let the kid think Holtz raised him like a human rather than as the ultimate revenge?

"So back to can I sleep next to my love tonight?" Spike questioned.

"We'll get adjoining rooms and see okay? That way if I say no you're right next door when my nightmares hit for the evening," Gabriella explained. 

"I'll sleep in the doorway so I can hear you at the first sign of trouble."

Ella had to smile. "You remember right after I died I was constantly trying to get clean and would claw at my throat and eyes?"

"How could I forget? I thought I had another Dru on my hands."

She nodded. "I was burning myself with the bath water and you came in. I whimpered so…"

"It was the first time I realized he had raped you," Spike whispered. "All the bruises and cuts. I have never seen such deep red marks on breasts before. It looked like he vacuumed your chest…And the bite marks." He physical shook and grimaced remembering.

"I was shaking so bad. I thought you were going to do it again…" Gabriella confessed. 

"Oh baby…" he murmured.

"But you drained the tub and draped a towel over my shoulders rubbing my back softly," she chuckled. "Then you towel dried my hair… You left the bathroom and I just stayed huddled on my knees. I saw you walk back in with a dark blue silk robe that you coaxed me into."

Spike watched her face as she spoke. "You showed me the bed next to yours that I could sleep in. If I needed anything you would be right next to me. Then you made me look you in the eyes as you said he would never hurt me again…you wouldn't allow it."

"I have no idea what came over me but I knew I would die for you…why I don't know. Cause I sure as hell was not that kind a fellow…I just loved you. No rhyme or reason. Just love…And it wasn't like I thought I was going to get any. I knew you were too traumatized for anything to happen. I just knew I had to protect you."

Gabriella smiled and kissed Spike's cheek. "That night I climbed in bed with you when the nightmares started. You just kept telling me you would keep me safe."

"That's when you told me you were a virgin," Spike whispered reverently stroking her cheek with two fingertips. "I wanted to rip his arms off or at least feed him his stones…Even if you got on your feet and could manage yourself I wasn't sure you would ever recover from what he did to your mind and spirit… I hated him so much. It wasn't like rape was a new concept with vampires or even with Angelus…its just you were so young and innocent…and it destroyed you in every way."

"You helped me stand," she stated boldly.

"You stood. I spotted for you. That's it. You did it on your own," he insisted. 

She gazed at him fully and whispered, "Hold me tonight…It's been too long without you there in my bed."

Spike stroked Gabriella's hair, "I will hold you forever."

"Good."

Buffy opened her eyes for a moment to see the couple share a chaste kiss before Spike settled back in his seat. Such devotion and love…and Buffy had missed her chance. 

Gabriella's cell phone rang as the car rested. "Spike? Would you get that?" she asked. 

" 'ello?" he groaned into the phone.

A man cleared his throat, "May I please speak to Gabriella," the British voice said. 

"Who is calling?" 

"Wesley."

"Ella. It's the watcher…"

"Which one?" she asked.

"LA," Spike stated. 

Earpiece on Gabriella took over the conversation. "Hello Wes. Please have a place for five of us. My kids can share a room and Spike and I were hoping for adjoining rooms. Buffy will be with us too."

"Buffy is with you? I didn't expect that," he said quickly.

"Did you get things squared with your employees?"

"They know that I will be arriving with people. They also know Lorn; a demon friend is coming to help find Angel as well but other than…" Wesley did not get to finish his statement. 

"Wesley…As long as you are in my presence or in my children's presence he will be referred to as Angelus. I will not have this discussion again," she insisted.

"That might be a problem for Fred and Gunn."

"Fine. I will explain to them in no uncertain terms the how's and the why's Angelus revoked his right to be called by that name."

"Charles always did say you had a fire in you," Wesley complimented.

"Yes well… Wesley there is something you should know before I get there. The adjoining room with Spike…"

Wesley sighed, "Charles knew that one day he would pass on and you would find your way back to William. He said that one of your greatest gifts to him was that you loved him enough to let him be Will's father and your husband. He never believed he would be the great love of your life…but you never treated him like he was second best either. You were always quick to say he was Will's father in all the ways that mattered… He loved you Gabriella more than you'll ever know."

"Thank you Wesley… What I was going to say is I am wearing Spike's ring. Angelus will understand that is a sign of ownership…matrimony. I didn't want you to be surprised or contradict that fact. We have not claimed each other yet…but soon," she stated. 

"I understand. We'll see you soon."

TBC…


	5. Angelus

Angelus

Author: Joy

Email: Julianna@ziplip.com

A/N: I repeat REVIEW!

The revolving doors to the Hyperion shifted as Will carried his duffel bag as well as his sister's, Gabriella carried Joy, Buffy toted her belongings and Spike handled his and Gabriella's things. "Hello," Buffy called.

Fred yawned as she sat up from the lounge. "Hi there. I'm Fred…Gunn…Wake up. They're here."

Gunn sat up slowly. "Wesley is in the office."

Gabriella handed Joy to her brother and told him to introduce them to Charlie's friend. Once the children left the room she took charge. "Alright…I'm Gabriella. Those were my children William and Joy. You know Buffy or at least know of her. And this is Spike…William's father."

"And your fiancée," Spike noted with a smile.

"That will only complicate things for now…" Gabriella insisted with a smirk. "I know you love Angelus and think the world of him… but I will say this only once: My children are to never hear him referred to as Angel. Do you understand?" she spoke very calmly and without harshness.

"Why? It's his name," Gunn snapped not liking being told what to do.

"No. His name is Liam. His little sister let him in his house after he was turned and thought he was an angel. That is how he got the name. He slaughtered his entire family including his little sister…Now in my family we believe in heavenly creatures and he is not one so he will not be honored by that name!" Gabriella snapped back.

Gunn stood abruptly, "Who the hell are you to be giving orders?"

Gabriella faced off with him, "The only hope you've got of getting him back." They stared at each other for a long moment.

Fred cleared her throat. "Miss…I'm sorry if Angel did something to you when he was evil but…"

"You mean before his soul?" Ella questioned. Fred nodded. "No dear. Angelus made me a vampire while he had that soul. And as for evil…you won't convince me he's not… even now…I know too many things that he has done."

Gunn almost growled, "You're lying. You couldn't have that cross around your neck if you were a vamp."

Gabriella let her fangs descend for the first time since she arrived in California. "No I am a vampire. I assume the fact that Angelus had his soul let me keep mine."

"I don't understand," Fred said confusedly.

Gabriella shifted back as she gazed directly into Gunn's brown eyes, "Twenty five years ago Angelus went a bit off his nut. He became obsessed with this small, young blond woman who completely shunned him. He got drunk one night, chased her down before he raped and killed her." She paused to gage their reactions. "Then it became a habit. He would go get slightly tipsy and find a young, small, blond girl at a bar. She could be a waitress or a singer…or a customer. He would stalk her for a few days then get drunk so later he could rationalize his behavior. Angelus would corner them in a dark out of the way place, terrorize them, beat them, rape them, and then kill them. From my count just of Angelus's memories…I was at least number five. The police had a serial killer and they didn't know it. Now he made the mistake of deciding at the last minute to turn me… In the morning as always there was regret but this time he had taken someone's soul…or at least he thought he had. He just left me there…The soul part deterred him from continuing…I think. Can't really tell since he did find Buffy…short, blond, young…stalked her for a while. Even went so far as to move to Sunnydale with her when she left LA." Gabriella's eyes met Buffy's; "You were lucky."

"I know…I've met Druscilla remember?" Buffy quipped eyeing his employees. Gabriella's existence clarified a few things that Angel had made reference to while they had dated. He had been more than careful with her sexually. Angel needed to know she was different. Buffy was…she was different. He loved her…completely. 

Gabriella smirked then turned back to Gunn. "He is your friend. You love him…He is my abuser, rapist, and murder. My daughter is cursed with his memories and thoughts. She isn't even six years old yet. I really would rather her not have to hear that the name of the man that she has watched beat, rape and murder her mother time and time again… He relives it when he feeds sometimes… that his name is Angel. I hope you can understand that."

Fred's eyes were wide with terror and disgust. Gunn was angry and ashamed. As Wesley brought the children back out to the lobby Gunn asked, "Is she telling us the truth?"

The former watcher sighed. "I'm afraid so…That is why the Powers took an active roll with Angelus," he said out of respect for his friend's wife. "He could go either way and he was heading down the wrong path. You can see now how Darla could be that distracting to him."

"I don't want to fight," Gabriella stated to the tall dark man. "We have a few hours left of darkness. There is a boat waiting to take us out. With Spike and I together we should be able to find Angelus fairly easily. Buffy will protect the children while Wesley continues to research. If you want you can either sleep or come with us. It is really up to you."

"This isn't some elaborate attempt to kill Ang…elus is it?" Gunn asked.

"I could leave him in the bottom of the ocean to go mad," Ella snapped.

"Fine…I'm going, just to make sure you don't accidentally stake him," Gunn stated.

"I'll help Wesley," Fred commented. "By the way who are the children in danger from?"

"Uh…so not a child here," Will griped little sister asleep on his shoulder.

Gabriella chuckled, "Will and Joy have the Watcher's council actively desiring to put them in pickle jars."

"Oh…Wasn't your friend a…" Fred began to question.

"Yes…The Wanker's council kept tabs on all of us through Charlie," Will sniped. "They offed him too when they realized he loved us more than their precious objectives."

"The more I learn about the Watcher's council the less I like them Wesley," Gunn commented. 

"I totally agree with you on that one Charles."

"Will?" Gabriella said. "Wesley will show you to your room." She then turned to the former watcher. "If we could all be on the same floor that would be nice."

Buffy and Will eyed one another. Will carried Joy, her bag, his bag, and both of his parents' bags up the stairs. "Man," Gunn exclaimed. "That is amazing."

Buffy nodded. "Now if only I can keep from saying anything stupid maybe he won't try to kill me before day break."

Gunn sat in the middle of the fishing ship, which was actually an Oceanographer's boat with the necessary equipment, as Spike and Gabriella reached out with their minds to find Angel below. They found despite their time apart they could still climb into each other's minds. Gunn respected Gabriella's reasoning enough not to call him Angel in public but in his mind his boss's name was Angel. "Right below!" Ella called. 

The ship slowed as the radar picked up on a large metal box on the ocean floor. They were lucky; it appeared the box had rested on a sand dune not far from the surface. The large magnetic arm in the boat submerged to attract Angelus's resting-place. The box was drawn out of the water draining quickly the water that had seeped into the compartment. 

"Gunn?" Gabriella called. He stuck his head out. "You'll probably need to stay back until we get him sufficiently fed. Spike will work on the bonds until then."

"Promise you won't stake him," the young man said.

"I have come a long way to ensure he stays alive…I'm not going to mess it up now." Gunn still looked annoyed. Gabriella sighed, "I promise."

The box was laid flat on the deck. "Bloody Hell!" Spike snipped.  "He looks so feral. He would never stay vamped for long unless he was in a fight." 

Gabriella looked down at her sire's vampire face and actually felt peace. She was doing what was right. The lid was cracked and opened. Angelus looked terrified. "Eat," she said opening a packet of hot blood to his opened mouth. He looked like a baby bird as he ate and swallowed convulsively. 

It took three bags before there was any recognition in Angelus's eyes. They clouded over in lust. Gabriella grabbed him by the throat and began to crush his esophagus. "If you picture for one second what you did to me I will hurt you in ways you can't imagine."

Spike nudged her with the torch. "Switch." She growled but let go. "Gunn…Come help."

Gunn came out and saw his friend still in game face. "Why hasn't he?"

"He hasn't fed in what two months…and he has been at the bottom of the ocean with no one to talk to. Angelus is a bit mad right now," Spike informed the young man.

"Angel," the vampire whispered. Both men looked down at him. "My name…is Angel."

Spike and Gunn looked at each other then eyed Gabriella who had the lit soldering torture in her hand. "Sorry Angelus. As long as you are in my presence you will be called by your right name… You can lie to your friends. You can't lie to your Childe." Angel and Gabriella stared at one another for a long moment. "Now I can reseal this box and drop you back or you can work with me and find Connor. Your choice. But I will not negotiate on what you are called."

"Get me out of the box," Angelus called.

"Glad we understand each other," she said sweetly. 

Gunn continued to feed Angel as Gabriella and Spike freed him from his bonds. First his hands and chest came lose so he could sit up and watch. Angel saw Spike and Gabriella work in perfect syncopation as they moved. Angelus kept sweeping his eyes over Ella's form. In one moment both Spike and Gabriella reacted at once. Ella began to growl showing her teeth while Spike fixed his thumb over Angelus's eyeball. "Keep it up mate and you won't be seeing anything."  
            Angel began to growl; "She's mine!"

That was more than Gabriella could take. In a burst of motion Angelus found himself flat down again in searing pain. His face pressed flat against the metal back of the box while his neck bled profusely from the gauges she ripped through his skin. "I," she spat in his face, "am no ones… You are the pathetic little man who can only get off when deflowering some blond virgin. You are nothing but a serial rapist in vamps clothing." Gunn watched closely as Gabriella dug her heal into Angelus's crotch and said softly. "I brought Buffy… She knows all about you now. She knows about us…all of us…and how you picture us as you feed… Your precious little slayer knows all about your twisted mind…and how she was next in line."

Angelus began to roar struggling to break free of Gabriella's hold. He clawed and pushed but nothing helped. "How is this?" he growled. "How are you stronger than me?"

"Powers like me best," she laughed in his face. "Call it another way to remind you how impotent you really are." Angelus went to bite Gabriella's arm only to have his teeth nearly knocked out. "Hush now. Sun will be rising soon… I would really rather not have to sweep you up after having gone to the trouble of finding you."

Angelus continued to huff. Gunn sidled up to his friend. "Time to calm down, Angelus. Need to have a little less volatile to get you home…From what I have seen man, you don't want to try a dominance display with that one."

Angel breathed deeply looking his friend in the eyes. "You won't have pulled me out if there wasn't a reason."

Gabriella let Angelus up slowly as Spike continued on his leg shackles. "You are absolutely right." Ella began to sing, "It's the end of the world as we know it…and I feel fine." She chuckled, "Need Connor to stop the Apocalypse. Need you to find Connor… Keep up the cave-vamp crap and I will happily help Connor…I mean Steven… put you right back into the ocean." 

"There!" Spike announced having freed Angelus completely. His eyes trained on his grandsire. "Listen here mate. You aren't the only vampire with a soul in these parts… but don't go pushing it. We all know that even with a soul we can do some pretty awful things." Angelus just stared at his Childers. "Take us in!" Spike shouted to Gunn. Gabriella wrapped an arm around Spike's middle as he leisurely draped his arm over her shoulder. The couple turned from the vampire and left him sitting in the box.

Angelus kept turning back to the couple in the car. He felt like screaming watching Spike touch his Childe. Gabriella snuggled into Spike's embrace feeling warm and protected while Spike stayed very aware of Angel. Gunn lean over to his friend and said, "Quit growling. Get it together man. She's not yours and never will be. I don't care what kind of vampire sire crap you got going on in your mind but you need to get your head on straight. She will kill you in a heartbeat…Don't even get me started on what her son has plotted to do to you."

"Son?" Angelus gasped.

"Sure…William…Will… Spike's son. I thought you would have known."

Angel glared, "Right… I thought Connor was unique."

Gunn chuckled, "Not for Gabriella I'm guessing. She has a beautiful little girl too."

Spike had been listening in, "And if you get within five feet of her little blonde head I will eviscerate you."

"That doesn't even begin to tell you what I will do if I catch you looking at her," Gabriella piped in. "My children are not to be spoken to. Joy has to deal with you enough on a daily basis without having to deal with you in person."

"What are you talking about?" the vampire snarled.

"Little pixie knows what you know, sees what you see, remembers what you remember, and hears what you think. In other words she is cursed with your mind…your thoughts play through her head all day long every day… She is how we knew you were in the bottom of the ocean and that Connor put you there," Spike stated plainly.  

Angel just swallowed shallowly trying to take in all he was hearing. 

TBC…


	6. Singing

Singing

Author: Joy

Email: Julianna@ziplip.com

A/N: Review Please

The Hyperion doors swung open to reveal two children sitting on the counter in the lobby with a bomb box between them. "What are you two doing up?" Gabriella questioned.

"Well Mum. When you slash a guy's throat open…it wakes us up," Will commented. Angelus blinked about a million times. The kid sounded and looked just like Spike. Not to mention the fact that he knew what had happened several miles away.

"Mummy Wesley thinks he found something…and Connor is glowing purple and red…and a big man with green skin that likes to sing got here a few minutes ago," Joy babbled erratically. 

"Green skin?" Spike questioned. "You sure Pixie?"

She swung her legs back and forth with great joy. "Oh yes…we got the player out so we could have a good time."

"Lorn?" Angel questioned seeing his friend come into the lobby. "What's going on to the best of your knowledge?"

"I told you not to turn your back on him," the demon said simply. He sighed, "Wesley…" pointing to the sleeping man in the office, "is doing the best he can on the translation of the prophecy about your Connor and her Joy."

"Who let him come back?" Angel grumbled.

"I did," Gabriella snapped. "You are a moron… Your friend tried to keep your son safe from a very real threat and you try to kill him. Guess what oh sire of mine. This goes way beyond your bruised ego and notions of you are the end all be all authority in the universe. Wesley can help and he will. To me honest…if Wesley hadn't taken Connor then your buddies at the law firm would have dissected him. But then again you were never good about looking at time lines and grasp full meanings…"

Angelus came to face off with Gabriella. "What would you know about losing someone you love? What would you know about having people be willing to kill your children to keep them from you?"

"Plenty ya idiot. I have the first child in a century born to two vamps and the only one to ever have a soul. I spent the first ten years of Will's life being chased all over the globe and yes even have him stolen from me for a time. My daughter that I love to death is something no one can identify as she is the child of a vampire and human but seems to have qualities that far exceed either's abilities. Her father died trying to protect her and us from the beloved Watcher's council. So yeah…I think I can say without a doubt I have some idea of what it might be like… then again my kids know they were created out of love while your son knows deep down in his being he was created out of violence and hate." The words rolled off Gabriella's tongue with amazing ease. "Go rest up Sire. We have work in the morning."

Angelus grit his teeth as he left the room venturing off to the kitchen for so more blood. His Childe had the uncanny ability to cast him in the worst possible light at every moment. 

Lorn stepped forward to the vampire before him. "We haven't been introduced. Lorn."

"Gabriella…You have met my children obviously. This is William the Bloody or Spike," she said touching the other vampire's back softly. "Wesley said you would be coming…I'm just wondering why."

"Direct aren't you?"

"Always," Will and Spike said in unison.

Lorn smiled, "I'm good with Angel…Getting him calm when need be."

"Then you definitely need to stick around. I rub him the wrong way," Gabriella stated with a proud smile. 

"Well your children tell me you have a lovely voice."

"Yeah Mummy… I want to hear you sing. It will be fun," Joy cooed swinging her legs back and forth again. 

"What am I to sing?" Ella asked.

"When you come back to me," Spike offered with a sexy smile. The vampires smirked at each other for a moment. Will started the music and Gabriella moved off to the side so she could see Lorn, her kids, and Spike. Gunn wasn't really paying attention. 

_'Just a float on the sea_

_Find myself on a page of history_

_As I ride along_

_I can always hear this song about you _

_And where you meant to be'_

Gabriella pointed at Spike and then started to crook her finger in a come hither motion. 

_'Your going tell me answers_

_I'll know_

_When you come back to me'_

Spike smirked cockily at the way his love was claiming him. He enjoyed her voice as well as the way her body moved to the rhythm. 

_'If we should fall_

_Love will catch us every time_

_Hear you call I will run_

_And if the magic of the adventure overcomes_

_We won't cry because it could be fun'_

Will and Joy nodded their heads in beat with the music. Gunn's attention was caught during the second verse. He had to smile at the look of delight on Lorn's face. Angel peered back into lobby as Gabriella finished.

_'I'm going to tell you the answers_

_You'll know _

_When you come back to me_

_It's gonna be alright _

_When you come back to me'_

"So what'd ya think luv?" Gabriella asked Spike.

"I think I love that song…especially when you sing it," he responded kissing her forehead hugging her close. Will rolled his eyes.

Gabriella turned to Lorn with a smile and said, "So how do I read?" He looked a bit shocked, as did Gunn. "What? I had a prophetic gift before I died. Do you think I don't recognize another 'reader' shall we say?"

"Well aren't you full of surprises?" Lorn smirked.

"You have no idea," Ella raised her eyebrows a couple times quickly. 

"Now a song we can all sing," Joy insisted.

"Alright Little One," Gabriella said to her daughter. "What do you want to sing?"

"Tempted," the five and 1/2 year old said.

"That's a grown up song," Ella stated.

"But you and Will sound so nice when you sing it…and its fun."

Will and Gabriella looked at each other and shrugged. "Last song…then bed."

The music started leaving Angel in the lobby doorframe out of the way. Wesley came in from the office having been roused by the first set. Lorn and Gunn got comfortable this time to watch the singing vampire family perform. 

Gabriella turned out one foot, nodded her head in time with the music and began to sing.

_'I bought a toothbrush, some toothpaste, a flannel for my face, _

_pajamas, a hairbrush, new shoes and a case._

_I said to my reflection lets get out of this place.'_

_'Past the church and the steeple, the laundry on the hill, _

_billboards and buildings _

_Memories of it still keep calling and calling_

_But forget it all, I know I will'_

            Will picked up harmonizing with his mother at the chorus. Both were quite serious in there singing, playing off each other's energy and charisma.

_'Tempted by the fruit of another_

_Tempted but the truth is discovered_

_What's been going on _

_Now that you have gone _

_There's no other_

_Tempted by the fruit of another_

_Tempted but the truth is discovered.'_

Will began the next section alone.

'I'm at the car park, the airport, the baggage carousel 

_People keep on driving Keep wishing I was well_

_I said its no occasion. It's no story I can tell'_

He motioned back to his mother, apparently not liking the complete attention of his audience. Gabriella smiled and picked up the second part without a missed beat. For a white girl she could wail fairly well. 

'At my bedside empty pocket, a foot without a sock 

_Your body gets much closer. I fumble for the clock,_

_Alarmed by the seduction…I wish it would stop.'_

Gabriella started to ham it up by grabbing her head rocking it back and forth then raising her hand in the Supremes 'Stop' motion. Spike laughed out right as did Will. 

Joy was singing along quietly to the chorus, while the rest of the boys just watched in wonder at the strange creature that was Gabriella.

'Tempted by the fruit of another 

_Tempted but the truth is discovered_

_What's been going on _

_Now that you have gone _

_There's no other_

_Tempted by the fruit of another_

_Tempted but the truth is discovered'_

Gabriella was in full entertainer mode singing to each guy individually for a bit. She came to focus on Spike as she began the next stanza.

'I bought novel, some perfume, a fortune, all for you 

_But its not my conscience that hates to be untrue._

_I ask of my reflection what is there to do'_

_Tempted by the fruit of another_

_Tempted but the truth is discovered_

_What's been going on _

_Now that you have gone _

_There's no other_

_Tempted by the fruit of another _

Tempted but the truth is discovered' 

Angel listened to the full soulful voice he had lusted after when he first saw Gabriella on stage. She was going to be his pet…He shook his head to remove the images from his mind. She could still move her body wonderfully. Angel licked his lips and came further into the room unobserved.

_'Tempted by the fruit of another_

Tempted but the truth is discovered…' 

Gabriella's voice was cut off as Angel's body slammed into a far wall by an unseen force. Everyone turned to where the vampire landed and not the levitating little girl on the counter. Scissors, knives, pencils…anything sharp started flying toward Angelus's body. "Bloody Hell," Will yelled. "Joy! Stop, Joy!" 

Angelus was pinned to the wall by several sharp objects…some through his skin. A long sword floated in front of his left eyeball ready to pierce his skull. "STOP THINKING OF MY MUMMY!" the child shouted. 

Buffy and Fred came flying out of theirs room to see the scene lay out below. A green glow surrounded Joy as she floated toward a terrified Angel who had knives embedded in his body. 

"Joy…Joy…Stop! Let him down," Gabriella commanded.

"NO! He keeps picturing it. He likes it. He likes to watch you suffer. He gets excited by it…He wants to hurt you again…over and over…I have to stop him," Joy's voice vacillated between hostile and scared as she spoke. 

"Baby," Ella soothed. "He can't hurt me anymore. You don't need to protect me… He's just a sick man who is alone."

"He hurt you…and he enjoyed it!" the small child ground out through gritted teeth before piercing Angelus's shoulder with the sword and then removed it again.

"That is it! Joy you will stop this right now! I have had enough of this behavior," Gabriella scolded. 

"But mummy…"

"No…no but mummy… Stop now," Ella stated clearly. All of the knives were lurched from Angelus's body in one swift movement. He let out a painful cry as he tumbled to the floor. 

Buffy stumbled down the stairs in her pajamas while Wesley kept his distance from the disruption. He still didn't know if Angel would try to kill him again. Gabriella held Joy to herself as Spike stroked mother and daughter's hair. He held each loosely kissing each of their foreheads. 

Will went over to the fallen vampire as Gunn and Lorn helped him up. The teen reach over to Angelus's stomach grabbed one of the pencils still embedded in his skin. He twisted it meeting the older vampire's eyes full on. Will whispered so softly only another vampire could hear, "I hate you…My sister hates you… Our mother didn't raise us to hate anyone or anything. We've gained that all on our own from what you think about… They all see you as some great hero…your mind tells a different story." He ground the pencil in further. "Just remember that after we have Connor, its going to be your own thoughts that will determine if Joy and I decide if you're a waste of space or not… So please keep imagining raping my mum. I really want you dusty."

Spike laid a hand on his son's shoulder and pulled him away. Will held up the bloody and now removed pencil to Angelus's line of sight. In the blink of an eye, Will flicked the pencil hard enough that it was embedded up to the eraser in the wall behind Angelus. "Come on," Spike encouraged tugging Will back toward his mother. The teen's eyes continued to penetrate Angelus's.

Buffy walked over to the wall and examined the writing utensil. Gunn stood next to her. "Damn!" he murmured. "Those kids could take all of us out in a breath." Gunn's eyes came level with Buffy. "How do you mother two children that powerful?"

"Very carefully," she answered. "I still don't know how my mom did it." Buffy extracted the pencil from the wall. "That wasn't dry wall," she gasped, "that was a wooden wall…Okay now I'm scared. I've only seen that sort of power after a tornado."

"Yeah I've seen blades of grass sticking out of telephone poles…How fast must he have thrown that?" Gunn asked.

"Fast enough to scare Angel…but that was the point," Buffy stated looking at the vampire still watching the teenager. 

"It might be good if you talked to him…He's really worried about what you think of him," the young man said.

Buffy shook her head, "I don't know what to say…or even what I think… I knew going into my relationship with him he had done awful things…hell he did awful things to me. But with his soul he was always so sweet and…respectful. The idea that he could still be that awful… I just don't know."

Angel breathed deeply to calm himself. Lorn took him back to the kitchen to dress his wounds. The vampire could still see his attackers from his seat. "I'm as good as dust," he whispered. Lorn looked at his friend. "Between Connor and those kids I won't live long."

"Sins of the father," Lorn responded quietly. Angel and he looked at one another. Lorn continued, "You are at a moment of reckoning." The host shook his head, "Gabriella has no intention of letting anyone kill you…and she doesn't hate you…not truly. She has forgiven you for what you have done to her…but she has not forgiven you for what your mind does to her children… To Gabriella letting her children kill you would destroy a part of their souls. Now Connor I can't comment on."

"Do you believe her about the prophecy and such?" the vampire questioned.

"I read her…and the kids. Hell I even read Spike. Gabriella wants her daughter protected and her kids to grow up as healthy as possible. Will wants his sister to be safe and for you to get what's coming to you. Joy…well Joy is harder. While she was singing it was obvious that her own well being wasn't as important as the world being together. Spike has the purest motivation of all. He loves Gabriella and the children…and he will die to protect them. None of this should come as a shock."

Angel nodded, "What will they do once we find him?"

"Will you get to see him you mean?" Lorn asked.

"Yeah."

"Probably not… Look Gabriella is a good mom with a teenage son that loves and respects her. That is a rare thing. One thing she won't do is try to make you look bad. She might share with him how she is related to you but she won't try to make him hate you. She knows you didn't kill Holtz…she might be the only person that can convince Connor of that," the host said simply. 

"Great…the fate of my relationship with my son rests in the hands of a woman I killed twenty years ago. Now that is irony."

Lorn looked at his friend, "Piece of advice. I know you had her only one time…but if you continue to think of that one time, you're going to be in trouble. She is beautiful and talented…and I can see why you choose to turn her, but any thoughts of that process will only add fuel to the fire."

"I know its stupid…but watching Spike with her…it makes me jealous. I see them together…"

Lorn cut Angel off, "Don't go there…even in your head. Spike was there to clean up the mess you left. He was there to give her stability and love… You destroyed her. Spike put her back together… That's irony. For three different women for over a hundred years Spike has been the one to put the women you have destroyed back together… Gabriella isn't a flake, like Druscilla, or hateful, like Buffy. Gabriella brought the humanity out in Spike before he had a soul. Now she can help him adjust."

"What do you mean 'like Buffy' and 'before he had a soul'?" Angel asked quickly.

The host looked grieved. "Maybe you should talk to Buffy about that."

"I'm asking you," the vampire snipped.

"Hey…I'm really the only one here that doesn't question your soul right now. Everyone else in this building sees you as a monster… The truth is the reason why Wesley took off with Connor was because he had been in contact with Gabriella's husband before he died. Wesley got the whole story. He questioned your actions because your actions have been questionable… I know you and you soul. I know how you fight your demon and how you struggle with those impulses. But I also know who you are. Finding out about Gabriella and the others only solidified things you revealed while you sang," Lorn told him truthfully. 

Angel sighed, "Please tell me. At this point all surprises I would like to come from someone I trust and know."

Lorn eyed his friend and said, "Spike and Buffy had an affair. I could see it when Spike sang. He loved her very much but she didn't love him back. It was very destructive for both of them. Once he saw Gabriella again he realized he had just been trying to force Buffy into Gabriella's shoes." Angel looked like he had been struck. "Spike apparently got his soul sometime recently…in the last few months. It wasn't a curse. He fought to gain his soul…and won. Now that Gabriella is back everything he has gone through sort of makes sense. He wishes he had never been separated from Gabriella and Will but he is more then happy to be a part of that family now."

"All of them have souls?" Angel questioned.

"Yes."

"No curses…No moment of true happiness?" 

"No… If there had been Gabriella would have lost hers the night she conceived Will. For Spike it would have been the moment she agreed to marry him… You got your soul as a punishment…they didn't. Gabriella has never been without her soul," Lorn commented. 

Angel chuckled half-heartedly, "Maybe that's fitting."

"Angel, Gabriella could help you a lot. She can help you connect with Connor. She can teach you to be a better parent," Lorn instructed as the vampire nodded.

TBC…


	7. Love and Commitment

Love and commitment

Author: Joy

Email: Julianna@ziplip.com

A/N: Review

A/N2: R rating for sex.

All occupants of the Hyperion settled down for the evening…or the morning. Fred was long since asleep when Wesley and Gunn both took rooms for the evening. Buffy went back to bed taking the pencil with her. Will and Joy settled back into their room while Lorn set Angel up in a double room that they shared for safety sake. The only two up were the newly reacquainted vampires.

"Come in," Gabriella called as Spike stood in the door way between their rooms. She had on a very modest silk nightgown that covered everywhere. Spike still found her incredibly sexy.

"Hey beautiful… Busy day…ready for bed," he whispered brushing his lips over her shoulder and neck. He had been good and found a t shirt and shorts among his things to wear to bed. 

She turned slightly to face him head on. "Very tired… You shut Will out?" she asked tapping on his head.

"Yep…" He said quietly running his hands up and down her arms.

"Good." Gabriella leaned in and gave Spike a very seductive kiss. 

He panted a bit, "I'm not that strong a man Ella." Spike shook his head; "I won't be able to just hold you tonight if we head down that path."

She smiled wickedly, "Just nice to know you still find me attractive."  
            Spike's eyes met Gabriella's hungrily. He spoke in a hushed whisper, "I got to climb inside your head and relive the nights we made love…the night we made Will. You have to know how badly I want to… Nothing is more right or real in my life then making love to you."

Gabriella's breath caught in her throat. They just stared at one another for a long time, heat building between them. It was as if at any moment they would touch the world would fall apart. They were beyond all point of control. Each panted as their eyes searched the other's face and body. 

Gabriella lowered her head and eyes for a moment. When she raised them again she met Spike dead on, "I love you."

Something twisted in Spike that he didn't understand. Too much time had been wasted. He had eternity to spend with Ella but right now all that mattered was claiming her as his own. He approached her slowly raising his hands to her face and giving her the purest kiss he could. Gabriella breathed uncertainly unconsciously knowing what was happening. Their eyes met for a long moment. "I love you Gabriella Jenks… No one will ever take you from me again." He addressed her by her human name causing a ripple of fear in Ella. This was real. It was happening. "Shhh…" Spike hushed. "It's okay… We don't have…"

"No…that's not it," she responded. "I haven't seen you in eighteen years and now… I mean we haven't even been in together for a day yet… It's just a little overwhelming."

Spike nodded looking at the floor. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pushed."  
            Gabriella hugged him close settling his head on her shoulder. "You didn't push… You know I'm not saying no, right?" Spike didn't respond. Gabriella nudged his head up and took his face in hand. "Look at me." He reluctantly gazed into her eyes. "I have only ever been in love with you… I loved Charlie, but I never fell in love with him. You are it. You have always been it…I am not saying no." She laid the lightest kiss on his lips. 

Spike lay his forehead to Brie's, "I just don't want to be apart anymore. I don't want to miss you anymore… Do you know why I helped Druscilla be restored to full health when she was sick?" Gabriella just stared at him. "Because I could save her. I could stop her from dying. I couldn't help you. I couldn't do anything. I didn't even get to say goodbye." He held her fast against his chest. 

"Claiming me won't make the hurt of our separation go away," she whispered.

"Maybe not, but you will be in me…and I will be in you. I will be able to feel you when we are apart. I'll be able to strengthen you if you need it and comfort you in ways only mates can."

There was a peaceful pause where life settled in for a few moments. Gabriella felt Spike's lips on her forehead kissing her. She felt his arms surrounding her protectively. With a cleansing breath Ella felt she could take that next step…even without more time between them. "I love you William the Bloody," Gabriella said lovingly leaning into his lips. "You are my past, my present, and my future… You are who my heart and soul cries out for… I claim you as my mate, now and forever."

It was Spike's turn to be overwhelmed as he heard Ella's words and felt her lips caress his neck. Her small hands slipped under the material of his shirt. His body tensed in excitement shuddering as Gabriella's fingertips traced the muscles of his abdomen. Spike panted remembering how she would trace those same muscles with her tongue just before for she would…bite. His eyes clamped shut while his body trembled. 

Gabriella was pushing his shirt up to get it over his head. Suddenly Spike was drawn back to the past. "Don't need to get blood all over it," Ella had said pulling his shirt over his head teasingly. 

Spike's hands found their way to her t-shirt and removed it from her body. She got an indigent look on her face. "Don't need to get blood all over it," he mimicked as he undid her bra. "Now these," Spike cooed caressing Gabriella's breasts gently with his palms causing her to moan. "These I wouldn't mind seeing covered in blood…so I could lick them clean."

Spike came back to the present even more turned on. He couldn't restrain his words any longer, "I love you Gabriella Jenks. You are my past…my present and my future. You loved me more completely and sacrificially than any other person in my life. Before I had a soul you made me long for heaven just so I can be with you for eternity truly. I never knew a demon could love that intensely… I claim you as my mate, now and forever." Gabriella gasped at the intensity she saw in Spike's eyes. 

The words were done, now came the messy part. Spike kissed down Gabriella's neck to a soft piece of flesh where he used to bite her during their lovemaking. Words would no longer be used. The only sounds that would be heard would be skin on skin and moans of pleasure, but words were done for now. 

Spike slid his hands to the sides of Gabriella's nightgown. He looked deeply in her eyes as he removed the garment. She had nothing but panties on underneath, he knew without looking. He didn't look. This was about love and commitment. Lust was a wonderful thing, but that wasn't what that night was about.

Gabriella was lifted into Spike's arms as he crossed the room to their bed. She was laid down softly while Spike still gazed into her eyes. He lay just to the side of her stroking her cheek with his knuckles before kissing her gently. Gabriella smiled and leaned up getting to her knees so they faced each other. Her tongue found that sweet spot on Spike's neck that made him gasp for pleasure trembling in her arms. 

Once again Gabriella's soft fingertips trailed lines of pleasure over Spike's muscles. He groaned; no lover had ever managed to make him so excited by doing so little and with such tenderness. At that moment he wanted a heart to hear it pound for her. Gabriella kept up her languid torture of Spike's neck massaging the skin with lips, tongue and blunt teeth. She raked her teeth across his flesh at the same time as her nails scraped up his flanks. Spike couldn't take it. He turned his head capturing her mouth for deep kisses groaning into her mouth. Suddenly he felt his tongue get nicked by Gabriella's fangs. That only excited him more. 

Spike pulled back panting to look upon her face. She smiled before lowering her head to lick down the center of his chest pushing him back to recline. Gabriella found the same muscles in his abdomen that her fingers had, licking and sucking them leisurely. Her hands busily removed his shorts causing all motor function to stop in Spike's body. He held his breath to see if Gabriella's mouth would move lower. She just brought her lips back up his chest to the spot on his neck waiting to be bitten. Gabriella urged Spike back up on his knees. A moment more of attention on his neck before twin teeth pierced his flesh and drank deeply. Spike bellowed his exaltation for the sweet intrusion…that amazing pleasure of pain. It didn't surprise Gabriella that her chest was covered with the sticky evidence of his satisfaction.

Gabriella's tongue swept over the bite several times before Spike pushed her back against the bed. Their eyes met and Spike could hear her voice in his head whisper, "Mine!" He attacked her mouth with his own drinking her in. 

Abruptly he realized he was being harsh and almost violent in his affection. Breathing in the sweet smell of Gabriella's arousal Spike calmed himself slowing down. He wanted none of these moments to frighten her or remind her of Angelus. Breathing deeply again he opened his eyes to gaze at his wife's beautiful baby blue eyes. He smiled softly at her before peppering her cheek with little kisses. Bringing his cheek next to hers he purred nuzzling Gabriella like a cat. Soft kisses rained down her neck to the top swell of her breast. His hand went to fondle the skin on her stomach only to have his palm covered in his own passion. Chuckling lightly he grabbed his discarded shorts wiped off her chest and stomach. She shuddered from the attention.

Gabriella looked down her body watching Spike chuckling as he rested an arm across her belly laying his head on it gazing at her lovingly. It was so… sweet… calming… genuine. The first time they had made love it had been very intense, all emotion and action. This…this was familiarity. Spike would pierce her neck and she would truly be his wife. The thought warmed her all over. She urged Spike up to her. He shook his head and kissed her navel eliciting a gasp of pleasure from Gabriella's lips. Dexterous fingers began to tug the last scrap of clothing off her body in slow torment as his palms stroked her legs. 

Spike took great joy observing his wife delight in his touch. As much as he wanted Gabriella, he enjoyed the relaxed turn the evening had taken. He tickled her feet lying tranquilly beside her before he kissed each of her toes. Spike licked a cool wet line up the outside of Ella's leg. His mouth reached her hip and he got a wicked idea. With blunt teeth he scraped and then bit her hipbone. Gabriella bucked up off the bed much to Spike's amusement. The action distracted Ella enough that she didn't have time to become nervous that Spike was hovering above her one leg between hers. 

With great care Spike leaned down and kissed Gabriella very sweetly slowly resting his weight on her. She trembled feeling their naked bodies pressed together. He stroked her cheek again encouraging her to turn her face into his hand so his mouth could fall on her neck. Gabriella kissed his thumb as he ran it over her lips while he lavished attention on his spot. She sucked his digit into her mouth when he began to suck on her throat. Mimicking the tongue on her skin, Ella swirled her tongue on the tip of Spike's thumb…that of course could only make Spike think how good that motion would feel elsewhere on his person. Pulling his hand way he caressed her side rubbing against her slowly as he kissed her mouth. Rhythmically Gabriella's hips met his in small thrusts. Of their own accord Gabriella's legs tried to accommodate more of Spike's body. Quickly taking the hint he moved to the space allotted him. Gabriella started to keen from the sensations she was experiencing. Spike drew his mouth back to her neck and readied it to be beaten. 

Gabriella started to rock more forcefully against Spike until finally his fangs broke the skin. She cried out as her blood was sucked and swallowed. Her eyes were closed tight but she could still see stars. Spike clung to his wife rocking back and forth on her body but not in it. It took all of his restraint not to slip into her. 

Gabriella's breathing slowed down so Spike pulled back to take his hint from his love. Demonic vestige slipped away in front of Ella's face. She pulled Spike down into a slowly sensual embrace. One hand slipped between them to position their bodies together. Spike's eyes about crossed feeling Gabriella's hand touch him. He watched her silently as they slowly became one. The only thought that came through the fog of his mind was in nearly twenty years this was the first time he felt completely whole and at home. "I couldn't agree more," she whispered in his mind.

Angel sat straight up in bed. "What's wrong?" Lorn asked.

"She's gone…She gone…" the vampire muttered.

"Who's gone?" 

"Gabriella…He claimed her. She'll never be mine again," Angel groaned. 

"She was never yours to begin with," Lorn said soothingly. 

"I'm alone… Buffy…Cordelia…now Gabriella. Not that I really thought anything would ever… But why did they have to take Cordy?" the vampire felt such pain. 

"Let's get through this stuff with Connor and we'll work on your love life," the host comforted his friend. 

"I hate this… I understand the curse. It's supposed to torture me like I tortured others… I get it…but why can't I just be in love with someone who can love me back. Nothing else…it would be hard but… God… Losing Connor killed me because he was my world. I just want to love someone…and them let me love them." His pain was tangible. 

Lorn sighed deeply, "She can do it Angel. Gabriella can bring Connor back to you."

"You seem so sure."

"I am sure… She can show him a balanced view of you. Watch her with Will. See the way they play together… You're very serious. To have your son be your son you need to lighten up," the host explained. 

Angel shut his eyes, "Gabriella was nice to me." Lorn eyed his friend suspiciously. "Before…before everything I did… I was sitting in the club Gabriella sang at and got drunk. I was already really depressed. She brought me over a Sprite and said it was better for me. Everyday for a week she did that before she went on stage. One night when she brought the soda over I asked her to sit. We didn't talk. She didn't push me to…she just sat with me."

Angel swallowed a few times. "I left the club and cried because I knew what I was going to do. I knew what the demon was going to make me do to that sweet girl that didn't push me to talk. She just showed me kindness… That's why I turned her. I wanted that sweetness… always. But then I saw what I had done to her body and knew she would never understand. The memories of what I had done kept coming back and I heard her beg…she was a virgin. And then I realized I might have turned her into another Dru. I was so disgusted with myself I went to kiss the morning sun." Angel stopped and looked at his friend, "… A friend, sort of a friend, a demon I knew stopped me. He locked me up till I came to my senses. By the time I got out she was gone. I tried to find her…to beg forgiveness…something. When I found her I saw Spike with her. I was so angry and jealous… but I saw the way she shook…the way she needed him to hold her to assure her she would be okay. He was so gentle with her…so loving. I let her go right then. Gabriella would never trust me. She would always fear me. So I let her go."

"You might want to tell her that," Lorn stated simply to his friend's bewildered face. "She thinks you had morning regret and just left her to rise hungry and alone. No matter how badly her siring was you were still her sire…and you rejected her."

"I rejected her?" the vampire questioned.

"If you turn someone you're supposed to want them. If a vampire rises alone without protection of its sire its unwanted…waiting to be staked," the host explained. "By leaving at all…if you didn't want her because she was 'soulless' you should have staked her yourself in her estimation… By walking away she was just a piece of ass."

Angel clinched his eyes shut. "Sins of the father," he muttered.

TBC…


	8. Morning

Morning

Author: Joy

Email: Julianna@ziplip.com

The Hyperion didn't come alive until the late afternoon. Giles and Wesley were talking back and forth about the prophecy before each of them. As near either could figure they had about a week to find Connor. Buffy spent some time talking with her watcher about what her role should be. Giles insisted she remain to protect Gabriella and the children. "Giles…these kids don't need protecting. You should see what they are capable of," she uttered.

"Yes, but I am not sure if they are old enough to understand that they may need to protect themselves from humans as well as demons," Giles responded. "Oh by the way…we have an interesting development on our side."

"Oh?"

"Dawn has started having vivid dreams of Will. She believes they are significant. I am unsure that it is little more than a teenage crush."

Buffy's forehead wrinkled, "What do you mean?"

"You must have noticed the hero worship she has for Spike. Will is a younger version of our Spike isn't he? Wouldn't it make sense she is attracted to him?" Giles questioned.

"Oh God…I am so not ready to have her walk down my path," Buffy groaned.

"Even if anything were to come of it…be assured he can't lose his soul."

"Don't say things like that! Little sister…Sixteen…No sex."

Giles laughed, "You were seventeen..." 

"Not helping," the slayer chuckled.

Will stumbled down the stairs sleepily, saw Buffy and made a Beeline for her. He didn't care that she was on the phone. "The girl with the long straight brown hair? Why was she in my head last night?"

"Giles…It's more significant," Buffy commented.

"What?"

"Will is asking about Dawn and why she was in his dreams," she relayed.

"Not dreams," Will insisted. "She was in my head…Like Mum can. She was just there. We both spent a great deal of time trying to sever the connection."

"Why don't you talk to Giles?"

"He is still a Bloody watcher… They killed Charlie!" the teen snipped.

Buffy sighed, "I know you hate me…but you can trust Giles. He was the one that insisted Spike be unharmed because of the chip and all. He doesn't let people be locked up just cause they don't have a heartbeat."

"I have a heartbeat," Will commented.

"What?"

"I will have a heartbeat until someone kills my human body. No one has ever gotten close enough…except you. You nearly did me in a few times."

Buffy looked nauseated. "I'm sorry," she barely whispered.

"You should be," he snapped. "Give me the blasted phone."

Buffy sat back and observed Will as he spoke. "Alright watcher… The girl with the long brown hair. No dreams…just trapped in my head."

"You were able to sever the connection?" Giles questioned.

"Not really…we tried…I'm assuming she woke up," the teen stated.

"That is very odd… Would you like to speak to her? Maybe you can come up with some explanation."

Will became a bit timid. Girls weren't his strong suit anymore. "Ah…okay."

"Hello?" 

" 'ello," Will slipped further into his accent.

"Hi…It's Dawn. Uh…I know this is weird but…what happened last night?"

He swallowed, "Don't know… You were just in me head… I'm sorry I couldn't figure out to get you out when you wanted to."

"What are you talking about? I didn't want to leave…I just wanted to know what was happening. I thought it was cool. I left because you acted like you didn't want me there," Dawn insisted.

"Oh… Um… Oh… Sorry."

"So why do you think I could do that?" she inquired.

Will bit his lip. He could get into Maggie's head…the girl from London. But she didn't know he was there. He turned and saw Buffy staring at him. "Just a minute." He looked at Buffy, "Can I have the room please?"

She raised her eyebrows. "Okay…I'll get some breakfast."

With the slayer gone Will sat down and tried to think of the best way to say this. "Uhh…Well…is the watcher still behind you?"

"Yeah."

"Could you go somewhere away from people?" he asked quietly.

Dawn chuckled as she left the room carrying the portable phone. "That good huh…" 

The teenage boy got nervous again. "Ya see… uh… There's a girl…" Will swore he heard Dawn groan. "…In London I'm friends with… If I get lonely for home or just miss her, I can get into her head. It's not normally something I have any control over. Me Mum doesn't even know I can do it."

"So you got into my head?" she questioned.

"I'm not sure… You were conscious of what was happening. Maggie never is."

"Well I am a mystical ball of energy," Dawn commented. "Might have something to do with it."

"Mystical ball of energy?" Will asked.

"It's a long story but I'm not totally human."

"Like me," he whispered softly.

Dawn's stomach fluttered. "So why were you trying to get in my head?" There was no response. "Okay… Ya want to try it again?"

"What?"

"I don't know… I go to my room. You go to yours and we'll see if we can hook up. Oh that sounded bad. I meant…if we connect. That didn't sound much better," she bit her lip. With an exasperated sigh Dawn said, "Would you want to try to get into my head again…now?"

Will blinked a whole lot. "Um… Why?"

"Why what?"

"Why would you want to let me into your head? Why would you want to connect?" he asked.

Dawn swallowed, "Maybe for the same reason you were there in the first place."

A long period of silence came to a halt when Will saw Buffy walking in the kitchen. "I… Buffy is your sister right?"

"Yeah…so?"

"I… I'm not sure… I'm sorry… I should never have…" Will began to tremble. 

Suddenly Dawn was there in Will's mind. "Shhh," she hushed. "I'm not her."

He gritted his teeth, "Please…stop…"

She could see how afraid he was, "I'm not going to hurt you."

"Please…"

Dawn was hurt and confused. Over the phone she said, "What did I do?"

Will started to hug himself tight. "I… For the last while… I have had Spike's thoughts running in my head. His experiences… I got used to the intrusion. It wasn't conscious…I didn't give you permission to come in."

There was pain and sorrow in his voice. She could practically see him. "I'm sorry… I won't do it again." Dawn heard Will's breathing even out again. "I guess I'll wait to see if you visit me tonight."

After a few moments Will said, "I'll find a place… You let me in this time."

"Okay…See ya soon."

Will hung up the phone and made his way to an unused bedroom and locked the door. The occupants of the kitchen watched in slight confusion. "What is he doing?" Gunn asked.

"I haven't a clue," Buffy responded. "But he was sharing dreams with my sister last night so I'm not sure if this is a good thing."

"Sharing dreams?"

"I don't know but they definitely were in each other's heads," the slayer sighed. "Why couldn't she have just had a normal life? School dances. Human boyfriends…No knights with long swords trying to kill her. No Hell gods needing her blood to open a portal to hell… No being able to share dreams with the miracle child of my former boyfriend who happens to be a vampire. Life can't ever be simple."  
            Fred handed her a mug of coffee, "At least he has a soul."

"That didn't help me when I was a teenager."

The Texan looked confused. Gunn popped in, "Angel and that perfectly happy clause. Buffy here makes him perfectly happy."

Fred grimaced, "Oh…I'm sorry."

"Let's just hope history doesn't repeat its self," Buffy muttered and sipped her coffee. "So when do you think our leader will wake up?"

Gabriella woke groggily to lips kissing her shoulder. She was vaguely aware of hands running themselves over the front of her body while a solid chest spooned her back. Blunt teeth nipped at her ear causing her to gasp. She was rocking against the phantom lover behind her unconsciously. Gabriella's senses became more focused as she felt the arousal of her partner against her. "Gonna wake me up this way every morning," she whispered drawing his head down to her neck. 

"If you let me," the British voice soothed. 

"It's not a dream," her voice sounded airy. "You really are mine now?"

"Got the mark of possession to prove it," he said kissing her cheek as he continued to arouse her body in wonderful ways. "I love you Gabriella…my mate…my wife," he cooed.

That was more than Ella could take. Half turned head she kissed Spike hard as they became one. Her eyes rolled up in her head as her husband played her body to a fast completion. "You feel so good…" he panted. "You're home Ella…my home…oh god… never so strong," he groaned. 

Gabriella gasped over and over as Spike took advantage of the perks of rear entry sex. "Ahhh… Love you… love feeling you wrapped around me…protecting me…loving me… You really know how to hit that spot don't you?" she moaned. 

Spike moved faster and harder, knowing that his wife was okay with it. "Mine!" he hissed and bit down on her neck. That finished them both off rapidly causing loud pleasure filled wails. 

Gasping and moaning Spike kissed his wife's temple. "Ya know they probably heard us," Ella whispered. 

"I'm not worried," he responded. "They can deal…It's not like they don't know what we were doing. Once they know we went ahead and did the claim…it's a mute point."

"It's one thing to know…it's another to hear it."

Spike kissed her cheek and detangled them. "Fine…Time to bath and get ready for the day." He tugged her hands and led her to the shower.

"We're never going to get out if we go in together," Gabriella mentioned.

He smiled bringing her flush against his chest. "It may take a little more time, but it will be worth it…Promise." She smiled back and let herself be led away.


	9. Dreamscape

Dreamscape

Author: Joy

Email: Julianna@ziplip.com

A/N: REVIEW!

Will laid back on the bed in the room he chose. Clearing his mind he tried to focus on Dawn and call to her. After a few frustrating minutes she popped into his head. "You okay?" she asked.

"Well I think we've found our problem," he sighed.

"What's that?"

"I tried to get into your head and left the door open to come into mine. I can't actually seem to cross that bridge. You however can come over fairly easily."

Dawn sort of played with her hair twirling it nervously. "So…um…can I stay?"

Will thought about it. It was just the two of them. Buffy had nothing to do with it. "Yeah…stay."

Dawn grinned big. "So…how's it going? Found Angel yet?"

Will's jaw tightened visibly. "Don't call him that." Dawn sort of stared at him. "He is no angel. He doesn't deserve the title… His name was Angelus for a century. He can keep it."

"Didn't realize you were as adamant as your mom… It doesn't matter to me what he's called. I never particularly liked him," she said causally.

He swallowed, "Sorry… Joy and I can share thoughts… I've seen some of his thoughts…I want to kill him. Actually I want to torture him in every manner he tortured my mum."

"Guess I don't know the whole story."

"No you don't."

Dawn nodded, "Well are you and Spike getting along?"

"I guess… I mean he's gonna marry mum. He is my father… Its just weird to see mum love anyone but my dad even if they were together before," Will commented.

"They're getting married? Wow…How'd Buffy take that?"

"I know she's your sister…but considering all I know of her…I really don't care."

"It was really that bad?" the teenage girl questioned. 

The vampire chuckled, "Bad doesn't describe it… I mean they were both psycho at moments, but the things she said to him. I mean…it's just weird. So much of the time you could see they weren't hearing each other at all… But Spike just kept forgiving her letting her use him. And it was Buffy that would always come to him…then she would pull this 'you're a disgusting monster' crap when she had just shagged him into the floor." He let out this exasperated sigh, "Mum told me over and over how if you're in love and truly committed to each other it won't be that way…but god. The only time I have ever really seen tenderness when it came to sex in Spike's life was when he would remember mum. I just can't figure out how once you've had that type of love and affection how you could go back to the other?"

Dawn sat down on some sort of dreamscape sofa next to Will. "Maybe because you don't want anyone to come close to what you had with that one person."

Will looked at the girl next to him thoughtfully, "Ya think? It's not just about getting laid?"

"That was crude…Now I know your Spike's," she laughed. He chuckled. "I think… How many woman can you recall Spike having slept with?"

"Druscilla, Mum, Harmony and Buffy… oh and that demon girl…Anya."

"That was weird…but honestly…I think that's all there has been," she stated. "I'll admit track record in the last couple years has sucked but for like a hundred years he was with Dru. He was faithful. That's a big deal… I don't know what has been up with him recently. I think Anya was about Buffy and Harmony was just about sex and having someone to stroke his ego but I think he loved Dru, Buffy and your mom. And even Buffy…she was just a replacement for your mom."

"What?" Will said confusedly.

"Don't you see? Buffy is short, blond, strong willed, passionate, loyal, and good. Though I know that last is questionable in your opinion. Your mom was the one that had all those qualities first. She's the one he was completely in love with… I mean he walked into the Magic Box saw Gabriella and went right to her. There was no worry what we would think or how Buffy would react…it was just about wrapping his arms around her and holding her close. I don't know if I can describe that to you. It was the same look he had when Buffy came down the stairs in our house after being dead. If you hadn't come into the room with the whole mug of blood incident I think he would have kept holding her and kissing her…which of course would have been weird."

"I know he loves mum…I just… I don't know. He hasn't been there and now he is and even though I know his mind I don't feel like I know him… It's just odd," Will ground out.

Dawn tilted her head, "Well, I know him. Ask me."

He stared for a minute, "Okay. Tell me about my father."

"That is weird…Father… Though I guess that's kind of what he's been to me. Not in the traditional sense of course. But…my mom is dead and my dad is a jerk who is nowhere to be found. Spike…Spike just would hang out with me, tell me stories about his life. He would come over to the house and watch movies. He'd go to the art gallery and visit mom. They'd talk about art and all the stuff Spike had lived through. We'd sit in the kitchen drinking hot chocolate having fun. He was a part of the family. Then of course he would be moronic with Buffy and screw everything up." Dawn totally forgot Will should actually know all that they had done together…its was her emotions toward Spike that were the issue.

Dawn groaned remembering that last couple years, "But he got beat up really badly and still didn't rat me out."

"I know pet. I wore half the injuries."

"I hadn't thought of that… Well thank you…"

"You're welcome." Will said. They stared at one another a moment too long. 

Dawn got slightly flustered at the way her body temperature was raising. "Well…anyway he was there for me when mom died like no one else. Spike loved me. I knew that. More than anyone in my life. More than Buffy I knew Spike loved me. He would die for me, protecting me. And after Buffy died he was all the family I had. Willow and Tara lived with me but Spike understood me."

Will watched Dawn as she spoke. He could understand why his father loved this girl. She was pure and passionate. Once he realized where his thoughts were taking him he shut them out. He felt them from afar for a while. Having her with him didn't change things…or shouldn't have changed things. 

"Spike can be your best friend and your biggest ally. He will die to protect you. I don't know if you can understand the type of commitment he makes when he loves someone… He's leaving us. Something he said he would never do because he made a commitment to your mother first. That is huge."

"You love him?" Will asked quietly.

"Of course."

"Even before he had a soul? Even with him being a vampire?" he couldn't meet her eyes.

Dawn reached out and laid her hand on top of Will's as it lay in his lap. "I loved him before he had a soul, even though he is a vampire. He is a better man than my own human father, makes you wonder about the whole soulless demon scenario."

"But," he said softly looking up timidly "isn't it weird to think about being with someone who's dead or undead?"

"My sister in the slayer. My sister's best friend is a very powerful witch that nearly destroyed the world. My big brother type guy is a vampire. A good friend is a vengeance demon. I didn't even exist in human form until two years ago but have memories of a lifetime… In my world there is no ordinary," Dawn explained. "From what you were saying last night it sounds like your mom has tried to make your life pretty normal. I mean you've moved around a lot but concerts, games… I don't know a guy that gets along with his mother more."

"It's stupid I know…but all those things Buffy said to Spike. It was like having my worst fears about myself laid out… Like 'yep you are a monster' and 'you're disgusting.' I guess I just feel like maybe its better not to try," Will confessed.

"You have to try. If you don't, what's someone like me got going for them?" He looked at her suspiciously. "You have a family that loves you. I have a team of barely legal twenties who don't know their feet from their ass," Dawn said in all seriousness. Will cracked up…in fact he doubled over. She got ticked. "I'm being serious here."

He just looked at her like she was nuts and laughed harder, "What kind of a statement is 'feet from ass'? Where did you come up with that?"

"Oh yeah." Dawn dug her fingers into Will's side between his first and second rib. He began to squirm. "Ah hah…Just as I thought ticklish in the same place as Spike. You are so going down."

"How is that possible?" Will asked laughing and attempting to tickle back. "We aren't physically here. How can you tickle me? How can I feel your touch?" 

Suddenly humor bled away and attraction took over. "I don't know," Dawn whispered. Drawing her hands away from Will's sides and running them along his arms that were still holding her waist. "Can you feel that?"

Will swallowed slowly trying to breathe normally. He nodded. On their knees Will was only a little taller than Dawn. "What about this?" she said quietly before blowing air on his neck and ear. 

He held tighter onto her sides; "Yeah."

She leaned away to look him full in the face. He was quite beautiful. She watched as he took shallow breaths. If anything were going to happen she would have to initiate it. Buffy had done too much damage to his self-esteem. 

Will's eyes flicked down to Dawn's lips briefly. He wanted to kiss her so badly…but he just couldn't. She caught the glance and decided to take the chance. "Can you feel this?" Very slowly she leaned into Will barely brushing his lips. 

They pulled away gazing at one another. "No," he said.

Dawn was shaken. "No what?"

"No I couldn't feel it," he said seriously. Her face fell slightly but she kept eye contact. "I think we need to try that one again," Will smirked at her.

Dawn got ticked, "Why you little…" Will's lips were on hers before she could finish her protest. "…cocky, annoying," Dawn continued to rant as he pulled away. He laughed and kissed her again, softly slowly. This time there were no more complaints.

"Better?" he asked.

"That wasn't a nice thing to say," she pouted. 

Will brought his arms that had been fastened on Dawn's hips to her back pulling her into a hug. "Sorry, luv. It was the cleverest thing I could come up with to let you know I wanted another kiss."

Dawn pulled away looking into Will's open face. Suddenly her face got lit up with a realization. "Do you know what this means?"

"No…since I haven't a bloody clue what you are grinning about," Will stated.

"You…me…couch…never leaving the comfort of our own homes. We can't get busted or be out past curfew or…" her eyes went big then her face turned red.

"What'd ya think?" he asked quickly. For a teenage boy his thoughts were fairly innocuous since all hormonal surges pass through the filter of his father and are therefore squelched. 

She slid so she was sitting on the couch rather than kneeling on it. "Nothing."

"Now that ain't true. You thought of something that embarrassed you… Lets see… Busted… Curfew…" Will tapped his finger on his chin…then it crossed his mind. "You were thinking about the lack of parental governing."

"Not quite that innocent," she admitted playing with her fingers. "God… You're the guy and I'm the one thinking about…"

Will and Dawn's eyes met as she swallowed her words. "Sex… You were thinking of sleeping with me?" utter shock pervaded his face. He avoided the word shagging…to many Spike thoughts. 

Dawn was so embarrassed she got off the couch and walked away hugging herself. Will got up and wrapped his arms around her trying his best to show acceptance. "It's nothing to be embarrassed about, pet."

She threw off his arms. "God you even sound like him. It wasn't bad enough that I had to have 'the talk' with him now I have to have the person it would apply to sound exactly like him."

Will recoiled. "I wasn't… I didn't…" Dawn turned around to see the hurt and pain in his eyes. She was the first girl he had even tried with since everything happened between Buffy and Spike and then… He couldn't look at her. He started to sever the connection. 

"No, Will please…I'm sorry. That was… I'm sorry. Please don't leave," Dawn begged. He braced himself as he dared to look in her eyes. She slowly came to him and tentatively wrapped her arms around him. "I really messed that up didn't I?" Will didn't say anything. "That wasn't fair or right…and it was probably the worst reaction I could ever have given…" She gazed up at him. He still looked like he was going to bolt.

Pride aside Dawn decided to explain. She led him back to the sofa and sat them down. "Last summer… God this is hard. I really don't want to tell you this." He just stared at his hands. "This will make it make sense I promise. I just hate having to tell you… Last summer Spike would stay at the house sometimes…overnight. Willow and Tara were gone and he stayed with me. Well one of the nights…I kind of had a… a sex dream… about Spike." She was staring at her hands while Will was gazing at her softly. "Anyway…he was in the next bedroom. He heard me sort of rustling and then I called out his name…I mean it was a weird dream anyway… Spike thought I was being attacked so he came in all worried. Well with vampire extra smelling capabilities…he knew in like two seconds what had happened. I was mortified. I wouldn't talk to him or look at him."

Will bit his lip and said, "So Spike made you talk to him and said it was nothing to be embarrassed about in the nice British accent I sport."

"And he even said 'pet'… I swear that had to be one of the most embarrassing conversations I've had in my life…and then…it was just life repeating itself and I couldn't deal. It had nothing to do with you. You are incredibly sweet. You didn't act all cocky like 'oh she wants to have sex with me' or completely disgusted… I'm sorry," she whispered still looking down. 

Two fingers found their way to her chin urging her head up, "It's okay. Thank you for telling me." He gave her the gentlest kiss he could muster. 

"I'm really not a complete horn-dog," Dawn grumbled.

Will chuckled, "Didn't think you were."

"Then what was with the shock?"

"The shock was why would you want to sleep with me?" he said shrugging his shoulders. 

"Your kidding right?" she asked.

"No…"

"Well on a completely superficial level, you're a hottie." Will laughed out right. Dawn continued, "And…I like the way you kiss... Been told if you like the way a guy kisses, you'll like the way he'll make…he'll have sex."

"I wouldn't know," he commented matter-of-factly. "And I prefer the term making love too…cause if its about getting laid… Well I have seen how well that goes. Then again I have seen things that I didn't think the human body could do."

Dawn chuckled slightly and settled into Will's grasp. They just sat comfortably on the couch with Will's arm draped over Dawn's shoulder while she laid her head on his shoulder. "This is nice," she whispered.

"Yeah…it is," he replied before kissing her softly.

"So when's our next date?" she asked.

Will smiled. "This was a date, huh?"

"Well…we decided on a meeting place and time. We met here at said time. There were kisses and cuddles involved."

"Don't forget our first fight," he added.

"Yeah…so I think that constitutes a date," Dawn said firmly with a little head nod.

"So…are we dating?" Will pressed this time.

"Well what does that mean to you?"

"Huh?"

"Dating…does it mean we go on dates or does it mean we're exclusive?" she questioned.

"Just tell me the right answer please," he begged hating girl questions.

She laughed. "So you're okay with the exclusive idea?"

"Who else would there be? What part of the 'I better not try' statement are you not understanding?"

Dawn put her finger firmly in the center of her chest, "Hey…How bout the Maggie part? That's the part I'm not understanding."

Will smirked at the twinge of jealousy coming forth. She remembered the 'other' girl's name. "I believe I mentioned her as a friend."

"You also mentioned getting into her head and missing her."

He couldn't help but enjoy the way she acted when her feathers got ruffled. In one swift motion he sat her sideways in his lap. She gasped a bit but kept eye contact when he said, "You had to initiate because you knew I couldn't. I'm not dating anyone. Maggie is a friend that could have been something more… but I have something more in my lap right now who knows who and what I am and still accepts me. I'm not going to give up a good thing." Dawn blushed. "I am as faithful as my father," he whispered before kissing her. 

"You're really good at that," Dawn panted.

Will smiled. "Thanks… Natural gift I guess… Hey is Spike a good kisser?"

She slapped his arm, "How would I know…ya big dumb jerk…" She continued to swat him. Will laughed a little. "No one but Spike and I know about my little…well knows okay. Don't make me regret telling you."

"I'm sorry," he mumbled kissing her forehead. "So when is our next date?"

"How bout you knock and I'll open the door?" 

"How bout I see you tonight unless something important comes up?" Will murmured as he gave her a squeeze.

"Will? What's your last name?" Dawn asked out of nowhere.

"Jenks…at least that was my mother's last name when she was alive."

"She didn't change it when she married Charlie?"

Will shook his head, "No…Joy is a Jenks too. Charlie didn't have a problem with it so… Why did you want to know?"

Dawn smiled that amazing sixteen-year-old girl smile all girls give their new boyfriends when they're going to claim them, "I needed to know so I could tell my friends."

"So when we come back to Sunnydale am I going to be shown off?" he asked playing with her fingers.

"Of course," she said simply. "I have to have proof you exist plus I want all my friends to be jealous that I have a hot boyfriend with an amazing accent."

Will raised his eyebrow, "Ya like me accent?" Dawn nodded. "What about the hair?" he asked pretending to primp it. 

"What kind of junk do you put in it anyway?" she questioned.

"Gel," he shrugged.

"Why blue?" Dawn asked pointing to the tips of his hair. 

"What would you prefer some Nancy-boy color like pink?" Will griped. 

"No," she said overly dramatically. "I just wanted to know if blue was your favorite color or did you think it looked the best with black or what."

"Oh…well… I like blue. I guess I just liked it best, that's all." 

Dawn was twirling one of his curls with her finger. "Its soft under that stuff."  
            "Ya want me to change the way I do my hair?" Will sighed exasperated.

She shook her head, "Just one of the days you're here I'd like to see what its like with nothing in it."

"That can be arranged."

A very distracting sound invaded their space. "I guess that means times up," Dawn whispered very close to Will's mouth.

"Yeah…I'll see you tonight, pet," he whispered back before giving her a searing kiss.

"You're way too good at that."


	10. Familial Stress

Familial stress

Author: Joy

Email: Juliannan@ziplip.com

The next thing Will knew Spike was shaking him pulling him to a sitting position. "Get off me ya Wanker," he yelled. "I was kissing my girl," the teen said unconsciously flopping back against the bed. 

Spike looked at Gabriella for guidance. She just shrugged her shoulders. They heard Will whisper, "See ya tonight," and he was asleep again. 

Buffy came to the door, "Is Will okay?"

"I think he just didn't get enough sleep last night," Spike said absently. "He woke up for a minute."

"Good. I'll go call Giles," the slayer commented.

"Giles?" Spike questioned.

"What's going on?" Gabriella asked.

"Wake Will up and he can explain it better than I can… Wake him up anyway cause I want Dawn on the phone," Buffy stated.

Will groaned a bit, "Dawn."

            Buffy gestured, "See."

            "Huh?" the bleached wonder questioned. 

Wesley came in the room, "Buffy, Giles is on the phone. They got Dawn up. She's groggy but she can talk to you."

            "Good…that's good…I don't even want to think about… God, why couldn't she just have a normal life?" the slayer muttered leaving the room.

            Wesley went to follow but Spike grabbed his arm. "Oyi… What is happening?"

            The watcher shrugged, "Apparently the younger Summers and your son have a bond. I guess they were exercising it."

            "What does that mean?" Ella asked.

            "I really don't know." When Spike didn't let go of his arm Wesley sighed, "Buffy got a call from Giles. Buffy passed the phone to Will who talked to Dawn. Then both teens got off the phone and headed to a bedroom near by. Giles went to check on Dawn and thought she was sleeping and let her be for a while…but when he couldn't rouse her he got scared. He called Buffy who then went straight for Will. That is truly all I know." 

            Gabriella sat down next to her son, "Honey… Wake up…"

            "Mum…I'm tired," Will complained.

            "Why are you tired?" she prodded.

            "Spent too much time with Dawn last night… Got to figure out a better way…" he mumbled into nothing. "You'll like her mum," he gave a sleepy smile without opening his eyes. "She told me all about Spike… Helped me understand… She likes me…even though I'm what I am," he slurred.

            "Did you just see her?" Gabriella asked. Spike just watched intently glaring. 

            He nodded slightly, "She likes the way I kiss." He smiled.

            That was all Spike could handle. He reached for his son's t-shirt to drag him up. Gabriella swatted his hands and pulled Spike to the corner. "What is your problem?"

            "He's talking about kissing my Nibblet!" he fussed.

            "So…it could just be a dream."

            "That is unlikely."

            Ella glared at him, "I have raised a very respectable boy. Your 'Nibblet' is perfectly safe. I promise her virtue is still intact."

            "I know he's your son so you don't want to hear this but… all teenage boys think about is sex," Spike snapped.

            "I can see in my son's head dear… I know what's there. And he is your son too so get it together," she fumed.

            Will sat up on the bed and yawned stretching in all directions. He blinked a few times, "Oh hey. What are you guys doing here?"

            "What is going on?" Spike growled stalking up to the boy.

            "What?"

            "Spike…back off," Gabriella commanded stepping between father and son. She stuck her index finger in the center of Spike's chest and said, "Dawn is a sweet girl that I know you love like your own child but this is your child so you better the hell act like it and trust him… Now I am going to go check with Buffy on Dawn. Don't do anything stupid…either of you." She walked away slowly.

            "Wow…what's going on?" Will asked confusedly.

            Spike tilted his head predatorily at his son; "While you were waking up you said that you spent too much time with Dawn last night… You also mentioned her saying she liked the way you kissed." His words were too cold and polished. Will noticed the golden flash in Spike's eyes.

            "What are you worried about, _DAD? Oh wait… maybe you're jealous she won't be having erotic dreams about you anymore," Will bit back._

            Spike's eyes flashed with rage glowing yellow. "Why you little punk!" he spat.

            Will stared his father down unwilling to back down especially when he didn't do anything wrong. "Well at least now you know it was real and she trusts me a hell of a lot!"

            The older vampire breathed deeply a few times shutting his eyes. Spike got himself together. "This is very confusing."

            "How's that?" the teen snickered. "If you had to choose you would choose Dawn over me…that is obvious."

            Spike's eyes popped open, "No… That… Dawn and boys has been the main thing I have been protecting her from in the last year. I'm used to automatically wanting to kill whatever boy comes close…" His son wasn't getting it.  "The first boy she ever kissed was last year and he was a vampire. She had to stake him Will, cause he was going to turn her…Turn her. He picked her as his mate. She was still fifteen…Do you understand now? It has nothing to do with you or what type of man you are. It has everything to do with her being my Nibblet."

            Will sat motionless on the bed staring at his father. "You don't know me. You don't know what's important to me. You don't know how I feel about girls or sex or anything. Unlike you I am not ruled by the snake between my legs!" Will snarled. 

            Spike clenched his jaw and nodded silently. Of all his mistakes, Spike would never be able to live down his sexual transgressions of the last couple years with his son. "I deserved that… You're right. I'm sorry… But you have to admit this is a weird situation. My son is dating the girl I consider my daughter."

            The teen sat quietly working his jaw. "I won't hurt her…nothing happened."

            The older vampire sighed, "I know…I'm sorry." 

There was a long period of silence. "So…she thinks you're a good kisser, huh?" Spike said.

"Dad," Will whined. "That was lame."

Spike was so consumed by being called dad, not sarcastically he left the statement where it was. "Well fine… Cool that you can see her even when you aren't together."

"Yeah… It would be nice to just stay in one place for a while… It would be nice to stay near Dawn," he muttered.

Spike gazed at his son, "I thought you hated Sunnydale."

"I am sure there are some places in the town you haven't tainted… I would have to get over the Bronze issues but…small price to pay," Will commented.

"You like her a lot," the older vampire said considering his son as the boy examined his hands.

The teen looked up at his father with an open face, "I like her a lot."

Gabriella had been listening from the door for a little while. She walked in confidently, "Well Dawn is fine. Buffy is about to have a heart attack but Dawn is fine."

"Mom mode?" Spike questioned as he stood and went to her. He ran his fingers over her arms lightly.

"Angelus flashbacks," Ella commented standing far too close, in Will's opinion, to the older vampire. 

"Ah…" 

Will watched his parents talk back and forth causally touching. His mother turned her head and he saw the bite marks. 

Spike didn't really know how he ended up on the other side of the room but the irate teenager picking him up by the throat probably had something to do with it.

"William!" Gabriella shouted. "Put your father down this instant."

Will had Spike pinned against the wall with one had. Spike didn't try to fight back. "He bit you," the teen snarled.

"Check under your thumb Will. I bit him too," she said from behind him.

Will slid Spike down the wall and saw the matching bite mark on his father's throat. "You did the ritual?" he said dejectedly. 

"Yes," Ella said simply.

"Why?" the teen asked. 

"Will," she whispered.

"No! I don't want to hear it. We're your family. We have been around and you don't even bother to say, 'hey…getting married tonight.' My god, mum. You couldn't wait twenty-four frigin' hours? Was this just so you were owned in the vampire community so Angelus couldn't lay claim? Did we need a father that badly?" Will fumed. 

"That is enough," Ella said with an edge to her voice. "I do not have to justify my actions to you… Your father and I have been apart a long time. Why should we have to wait any longer to be together?" The teen still glared at his mother. "And Will you knew… When we talked last night all you said was we had to block your connection to Spike. We did that on the spot. There is no reason for you to think we wouldn't do it last night." Will hugged himself. "Go call Dawn. It will make you feel better."

"Fine…Leave," he snapped.

"I meant on the telephone."

"Well ya know what? I would like to see her in person. Get over it."

Gabriella shook her head, "Come talk to me when you feel better."

Spike stared at the two quietly. He didn't know if he should yell at Will for talking to Gabriella in such a manner, or if he should let it lie. Gabriella tugged at his arm. She had been there; he hadn't. Before they left he turned to his son, "I'm sorry you feel betrayed. I didn't mean to cause a problem between you and your mum… Tell Dawn I love her, I'm happy for her to have finally found a good guy and to call me latter." Will just glared at his father but then nodded. 

Gabriella and Spike left William alone. He turned to the closest wall and punched a whole through it. Drawing his hand out of the plaster and wood he saw his knuckles bloodied. Closing his eyes Will flopped back on the bed. "Dawn… Dawn… Please… I need to talk to you."

He heard her voice. "Give me a minute…I'm still dealing with over zealous parental figures."

After a minute or two Dawn walked up to the sofa Will was leaning on. His hand was bleeding. "Get into a fist fight?"

"Yeah…with a Wanker of a wall," he replied not opening his eyes. It was supposed to be funny but it came out depressed.

She sat down beside him. "What's wrong Will?"

He opened his eyes and stared at her for a minute with those soulful blue eyes. Without a word he just laid his head in Dawn's lap. He just needed to be close to her. She slowly ran her fingers through his hair for a while. Will began to purr in her lap. "Ya want me to scratch your tummy?" Dawn quipped.

"What?"

She smiled happily at him, "You were purring."

He looked embarrassed, "Oh… Sorry." Will went to lean up but she pushed him back.

"I like it… My very own kitty," she whispered continuing to pet him. "You ready to talk about it or do you need to be cuddled more."

"More cuddles," he grumbled. "Come here." Will tugged her so they were lying side by side with his head on her shoulders while he wrapped his arms around her middle.

"This constitutes snuggles not cuddles," Dawn informed him.

"Is that right?" he questioned.

"That's right."

Will smirked, "And what are you gonna do about it?"

Dawn chuckled, "Was that a challenge?"

He shrugged, "Maybe."

"Well…you could come up here and kiss me and we could change the status again… What does Spike call it? Snogging?"

Will started to laugh, "Snogging is a little more than kissing…and I'm not going there yet."

Dawn rolled her eyes, "I'll have to have Spike teach me what all his Englishisms actually mean."

Will swallowed and sighed, "Spike wanted me to tell you he loves you, he's happy you found a good guy, and to call him later."  
            "Really?" she questioned him hopefully.

"Believe me…of all the things that were said since our last visit that is the simplest," he stated with a groan.

"So stuff didn't go well when you got back?" Dawn asked as she stroked his back.

Will hugged her a bit tighter. "Spike played your father… Apparently when I was waking up I told him that you said I was a good kisser… Things kind of went down hill from there."

She tilted her head, "But he told you to tell me he was happy I found a good guy. That sounds like some resolution was made."

"He got it together and told me about your first boyfriend being a vampire…and that you had to stake him," Will did not want to be uttering the words coming out of his mouth. First of all thinking about another boyfriend was weird but thinking that she had a vampire boyfriend…that wanted to turn her. It was really the first time he realized he didn't know everything important that had happened to Dawn in Spike's presence. "We both calmed down… I kind of got in his face a bit… It's not like he's gonna stop me from seeing you."

Dawn could tell he was still tense, "There is something else. You would have let that go."

Will was frustrated at her and glared, "You've known me for less than a day. How can you possibly know how I'm going to react!"  
            She removed her hand from his hair to stare just as intensely back. "Well that was a lovely display of you channeling Spike. How bout Elvis? Can you do Elvis?" she commented bemused.

Will was completely shocked for a moment just gaping then he cracked up. When he stopped shaking he nuzzled Dawn's neck. He could feel her heartbeat against his forehead. "Sorry," he whispered.

"It's okay. That whole vampire thing means you come with a temper. Do you have any idea how often I've had to ignore threats like 'I'm going to rip your bloody throat out!'? I mean he was afraid I was hurt so he threatens to kill me…makes a whole lot of sense… And by the way, don't get too comfy. I am not a combination girlfriend and snack bar," she stated clearly.

He popped his head up with a hurt look, "That was not cool."

"Just being sure we have that boundary line drawn, okay… The whole first boyfriend thing left its own impression on me too."

Will nodded solemnly and snuggled back into her arms.

"So are you going to tell me the real reason you're so upset or are you going to continue to hide? I really don't care which you do. I just need to know what tact to take in either case. You are more the welcome to stay silent…I like the whole cuddling my blue haired blue eyed boy," Dawn said sweetly.

Will had to smile. He sighed deeply, "They did the ritual last night… I saw the bite mark on mum and went ballistic. Mum pointed out the fact that Spike had a bite mark too… I don't know. I guess I just thought I would have more time to adjust to having him around… Charlie was like that too. I liked him a lot and he could protect us so she married him right away. Suddenly he was just there…all the time."

"You didn't have any control over the situation," she said soothingly rubbing his back. 

"Yeah… It had always been her and me… always. I was always part of making the decisions…" Will said sitting up. He started to pace. 

"And that one you weren't…" Dawn completed.

He stopped briefly, "Exactly…I mean I didn't want a dad…I had a dad… He just wasn't with us. And then Charlie became my dad and now he's gone and…"

"And you have the dad you always thought you wanted and now you don't have a clue how to handle it," she said sympathetically. 

"It was getting to be like it was before where we traveled all over and mum and I made decisions together. Not that I didn't have input when she was married to Charlie but…" Will sighed sitting back down.

"Will," Dawn said laying her hand on his. "You have been the most important man in your mother's life… you're afraid you're going to have to give that up."

He swallowed slowly, "She just loves him so much. She loved Charlie…but not the way she loves Spike. I'm not used to taking second place. Even with Charlie I knew I was still…"

"It's okay," Dawn hushed him drawing him into a hug. "Ya just need a little reassurance from your mom. Tell her what you just told me. She'll understand… Spike will get it too… if you want to tell him."

"You're good at this," Will said with a smile. 

"Natural talent," she joked. "And of course I have spent hours and hours with the most insightful person I know…your father."

"He and I were talking… about us… He was like 'you have to admit this is weird…my son dating the girl I consider my daughter.' It was really funny," he joked. "Man Spike's not gonna know if he's coming or going. He'll want to protect your virtue and encourage me as a guy in whatever way macho dad's encourage their sons with girls."

"Will," Dawn called. He looked at her briefly. "You're thinking too much." She pulled him to her for a kiss. Will came willingly enjoying her initiative. 

"Mmmm," he moaned. "I need to…" Dawn kissed him again this time slipping her tongue along his lips. "Ahhh…." Will leaned them both back down on the sofa deepening the kiss. 

When they pulled away for air Dawn licked her lips and said, "Was that snogging?"

Will laughed. His body was pressed on top of Dawn's in delicious ways. "It was getting close if not there," he panted. "Now I am a gentleman so I'm going to sit us both up, give you a quick kiss, and say goodbye until tonight where there will be no snogging or getting close to it…"

Dawn groaned, "Ahhh…what's the fun in that?" 

Will sighed, as they righted themselves, "Please don't do that. This is one arena I am not willing to bend on. I was raised to be a gentleman and I'm going to bloody well act like it." He looked at his hands, "I can't be like Spike…I just can't. It would kill me."

"Shhh… Hey… Teasing… Really…its not a problem," she whispered leaning into his shoulder. 

Will watched Dawn for a second to make sure everything was fine between them. He kissed her forehead then gave her a quick hug and kiss on the lips. "I'll see ya later, pet."

"Can't wait."

TBC…


	11. Disconnect

Disconnect

Author: Joy

Email: Julianna@ziplip.com

A/N: Sorry this is short. The next section is already written but the following chapter really needs to be redone. Anyway… Enjoy! 

A/N2: REVIEW!

Spike sat on his marriage bed as Gabriella puttered around talking to Joy who was playing on the floor. He had flashes of Will and Dawn in his head. He heard words…parts of conversations. He wasn't used to the streaming video he suddenly got for a few moments. 

Gabriella eyed him for a minute. Seeing the lines of stress on her husband's face she turned to her daughter and said, "Joy, go down to see Wesley okay?"

"Yes mummy," the child answered scurrying from the room. 

"What's wrong luv?" Ella whispered stroking her husband's hair. 

He groaned leaning into the comforting strokes. "This whole shared mind thing is very distracting…" Spike sighed, "How do I make it up to him? I've hurt him so much over such a long period of time…"

"What did you see? What did you hear?" she whispered.

"Will and Dawn were kissing and he pulled away. He wanted to be a gentleman. Dawn sort of teased him about it. He said in all seriousness he was raised to be a gentleman and he would be. Then… Then he said, 'I can't be like Spike…I just can't. It would kill me.'" Spike closed his eyes in pain. 

Gabriella held him close. "He said it would kill him to be like me, Ella. I can't fix that… He's so afraid of being like me…" She kissed Spike's forehead and laid them both down on the bed bringing him into her arms more fully. "Brie…Along time ago you told me that every deed affected every other person on the earth…good or bad. I would do something and insist I was only hurting myself. I was wrong. The last few years…I've done some good but I have done a lot of things that have messed Will up… He's seventeen years old and afraid to French kiss a girl…because of me."

Ella sighed, "Spike, Will has had me and Charlie to help him sort things out along the way. Yeah, there are things that have left a mark…but Spike you can't change them. All you can do now is tell him and show him that you do believe you made mistakes…" She smiled at her husband and said, "It really isn't a bad thing that he is cautious in his physical relationship with his girlfriend…your Nibblet." 

Spike sat silently in Gabriella's arms. "You know he is mad at me, not you, right?" she asked.

"What do you mean?" he wondered.

She shook her head, "Spike, Will looks at our getting married last night as taking away his choice again." He stared at her. "We went to you for help without his knowledge. He had to face you when he didn't want to. I made you apart of our family without his input… He knew it was going to happen, he just thought it would be later…or at least he hoped it would. His anger is at me for the decisions I made without him not at you. Will may act angry toward you but that's just because it's easier to blame you than to blame me."

"I shouldn't have pushed," Spike muttered with a slight pout. 

"You didn't… It was a joint decision."

The couple lay comfortably with Gabriella's back against the headboard and Spike leaning against her chest on his back. She ran her fingers through his hair until he started to purr comfortably. A soft knock came through the door. "Yes," Gabriella called.

"Mum?" Will answered coming in slowly. He physically stiffened at the relaxed posture of his parents. 

Spike got up quickly, "I'll let you two talk." Gabriella's brow wrinkled.

Will held up his hand. "You can stay if you want…She's just going to tell you what I said so…" the teen grumbled. 

They stood in the same posture shoulders slumped, looking down, thumbs hooked in the back of their jeans, shuffling their feet back and forth. Gabriella started to laugh. In an instant both heads popped up looking at her questioning. "You…you're mirroring each other. Exactly… It's amazing. I always wondered if you would do this and look you're doing it."

Will smiled and came to sit at the side of the bed, "Yeah well when I was talking to Dawn I said something…snippy I guess…She said I was channeling Spike. She then asked if I could also channel Elvis." He chuckled so did Gabriella. 

Spike just stood there unsure what to do. He kind of smiled. "I could call Dawn…"

Will rolled his eyes and stood before his father, "Just stay okay… Has he always been this jumpy or is it something I inspire?"

"At moments…I think it's mainly his soul that is making him jumpy though," Ella answered. "Oh come here Spike." She waved him over. He slowly sat down, not getting snuggly with Gabriella much to her dismay. 

"Okay… I'm sorry I lost my temper… This is just weird for me. I thought I would have more time to adjust… It's not just that though." He turned to his mother and said, "It was always the two of us. Now I realize as a kid if you suggested something I generally just agreed cause you were my mum, but at least I felt a part… And then we added Charlie and I guess I still was a part. I mean I had no say over the fact that you married Charlie but ya know I learned to love him so… he was a good dad…"

Gabriella's face contorted, "What?"

"What?" Will asked back.

"Are you saying you didn't want Charlie as your dad?" she asked slowly.

"In the long run yeah it was great… I got to have the great father-son moments. I had stupid rafting trips, football watching, and someone to go to other then me mum when I started liking girls… He was a wonderful dad. But if you're asking if at the age of nine…well almost ten I wanted him as my father the answer is no. I wanted my dad," he pointed to his head…not to Spike. Ella stared at her son confused.

"I had a father out there somewhere. I always assumed one day we would travel somewhere and there he would be. And he would love us and want us and be there…like now… I knew he loved you. He would wish he still had you near… I just kept hoping the next town would be the one. But when Charlie came that dream died. I had a new dad…and I did love him. But he wasn't _my dad."_

Will and Gabriella stared at one another for a long time. Spike tried to breath normally. His son wanted him…his son had always wanted him. One town more…one more day… Why couldn't it have happened? He stood from the bed and walked into the bathroom. He stared into a blank mirror breathing deeply. It felt like his chest might explode. So many things should have been different. So many things he wanted to take back. It was overwhelming how much they all had lost… 

Druscilla… The mirror was broken in front of him and shards of glass were embedded in his knuckles. Will did take after him. Rage bubbled in the back of his throat and he tore from the room. Spike glided past Gabriella as she went to check on him after the crash. 

A scream rose from the lobby. It would not happen again!

Druscilla stood in the middle of the room having Fred in a trance holding a knife to her own wrists. Spike glared cruising down the stairs while Gabriella and Will came to the balcony. The occupants of the hotel stood motionless. Gunn was terrified for his girl as was Wesley. Angel and Lorn had arrived as the scream came up while Buffy was explaining the reasons why a wooden stake worked on vampires while plastic ones didn't to Joy.

"Princess has come home, Spike. Daddy has been calling…so angry…he was awake…my daddy was awake," her singsong voice covered the room in a blanket. 

Spike kept coming grabbing the stake from Buffy's hands. No one would stop him. Druscilla finally saw her former rival standing above. "What is she doing here?" she snarled. Will and she locked eyes. "A boy… Bint had a boy."

With one hand Spike pushed Fred from Druscilla's grasp sending her sprawled out on the floor and the knife spinning in circles. Gunn gathered Fred in his arms quickly kissing her head as she wept with fear. Spike stood before his insane ex. "Your mind isn't clouded with the slayer," Druscilla whispered confused by the turn of events.

"No Dru… Didn't the stars tell you? My mind is clouded with my wife!" he announced showing off his mark. A general confused gasped raised from the occupants of the hotel for no other reason then surprise.

Everyone stood dazed as they watched the unthinkable. Spike was raising the stake to dust his sire. Druscilla knew her life was about to end and called out desperately, "I know where the naughty boy is." 

Spike paused. He looked between Gabriella and Angel. They could handle it. He wanted this over. He wanted her dead. "We can find him without you," Spike growled. 

Druscilla attempted to play mind games with Spike only to find Gabriella was already there to combat her. "No dice, Dru. I was always better… I always had his heart. Get out of my husband's head," the blond vampire sneered at the brunette. 

Spike slammed Dru against the closest wall he could find. "You took everything from me… You took away my love. You took away my child. For what? So you could have me for another few years before you and daddy started at it again?" Angel winced at the words, as did Buffy. Neither one wanted to be reminded of those old times of despair and pain. 

"I have missed years Druscilla and I can't get them back." Hatred laced Spike's eyes, "I never thought I could ever hate you so much that there would be no place of love in my heart for you… You were my sire, my lover, and my partner. You would think I could muster some feeling for you but all that's left is hate…I'm not going to let you hurt my family again."

Eyes wide with fear, Druscilla pled to her sire, "Angel… He's going to kill me."

Angel closed his eyes and said, "You'll finally be at peace Dru. No more pain. Your soul will be free."

Her eyes rested back on her childe. While her head was turned Spike had placed the stake over her heart. "Bye Dru…Rest well Princess."

"Sp…" no other sound came out of her voice as she turned to dust. Spike dropped the stake in his hand and backed away from the ash. He never raised his eyes. He just walked back up the stairs silently, moved past his wife and son, shutting the door softly behind him.

Silence reigned in the lobby. No one knew what to say. Only Angel could truly appreciate the sacrifice Spike was willing to make for his love. He too had killed his sire… for Buffy. He may not have loved Darla anymore but she was his family. 

"Lorn?" Angel whispered to his friend. The host looked up. "Could you please collect Druscilla's ashes? Spike will want to dispose of them." 

Silently he moved up the stairs to Gabriella who stared hard at her sire, as did her son. "Let me check on him. I'll be his punching bag, okay?"

"We'll go in together," she said solemnly. 

Will stopped Angelus mid-motion giving him a warning glare. "My family… Just remember I'm older and larger than my sister. I can make it hurt worse." The older vampire nodded as he moved to the door. 

Will came down the stairs gathering his sister in his arms snuggling her close. Buffy watched the siblings pull into one another and longed for home. She wanted Dawn's arms right about now… It was stupid. There was no real reason for her to be upset. She knew she would never have Spike back but still. He had killed Druscilla for the love of Gabriella. Spike was married. He had done it. She rose and went to the phone. Dawn would listen.

TBC…


	12. Confrontations

Confrontations

Author: Joy

Email: Julianna@ziplip.com 

A/N: REVIEW!

Gabriella went into the bedroom first with Angelus trailing behind. Spike sat staring at the broken mirror in the bathroom. Gabriella knelt in front of him taking his injured hand in hers. She kissed the cuts and then slowly ran her tongue over them. Spike drew in a sharp gasp. His eyes met hers and the entire world went away. All the pain and sorrow disappeared as he gazed at his love. 

Angel's heart broke a little more as he saw Spike kiss Gabriella's lips then slide down next to her burring his head in her lap. She sort of laid herself over her husband hugging him. Angel turned to leave. Neither would offer him comfort for what he had lost. 

"Angelus," Gabriella's lovely voice called to him. He stopped. "You just lost a childe…come mourn with us." Spike stiffened but Ella simply touched his mind. "He is in pain. He came to take your abuse. We can give him this."

Spike sighed and nodded. Angelus watched the silent conversation. Gabriella gazed up at her sire and raised a hand to pull him down with them. She shifted grabbing a pillow and settled Spike's head back on soft down on half her lap. Large blue eyes met her kneeling sire. "Lie down Angelus," she soothed. 

Hesitantly Angel laid his head on the other side of the pillow. This treatment far exceeded any of his wildest dreams. Lorn was right; she had forgiven him. All of the threats were a way to establish boundaries. Given the chance Gabriella did still have the ability to be the sweet girl that gave him Sprites and didn't push him to talk. 

After he got settled he felt a small hand stroking his hair softly. Tilting his head Angelus could see Spike silently crying with Gabriella rubbing his back and neck. He could see she was whispering to him in his mind. Her eyes came to rest on Angel's and he guiltily looked away. Ella ran her fingers through his hair. "Thank you for not getting in the way," her voice said softly. "I know this is very painful for you. She was always your favorite." That did it. Angel found his face wet as well. 

Gabriella leaned over and kissed Spike on the forehead. "My love," she hushed. "My sire," she whispered as she continued to run her fingers through his hair. Both men began to purr. Gabriella had her cheek against Spike's occasionally stealing kisses. Angelus wanted to be closer to Ella but would be grateful what she gave him. 

After a while both Spike and Gabriella began to rise. Angelus looked startled and vaguely hurt. Ella extended a hand to him. "Three things can happen now. You can leave and get comfort from your friends, you can hold me or you hold him as we all lay down… Now this is a major act of forgiveness and acceptance on our parts so this is not the time to blow it."

Angelus looked at Spike, "I would like to stay. I will take either of the last options you feel most comfortable with."

"I'm not comfortable with either," Spike started to say angrily. "But I know what you lost. I felt the same way when Dru told me she killed Gabriella," he said more softly. He braced himself, "I'll let you hold Ella only because she is…" Spike didn't get any further. 

            Gabriella held her husband to her kissing him softly. "Come on," she motioned. "Grab the pillow Angelus. I'll hold both of you."

            Angel climbed in on one side while Gabriella and Spike climbed on the other side. The scent of the couple drenched the sheets. Angel sighed; beggars can't be choosers. Spike cuddled under one of Gabriella's arms resting his head on her shoulder so he could kiss her. Angelus got close but didn't initiate any contact. A small hand wound over his shoulder and rested him on her other shoulder. All he really wanted was to wrap his arms around her middle and fall asleep surrounded in family. "Can I…" he broke off not having the courage to ask. Gabriella wrapped one of his arms around her and let him get comfortable before she turned back to soothing Spike. Soon all three were asleep cocooned in the love of the others. 

            Buffy stood at the door and saw the scene before her. Angel wanted their comfort, not hers. She sighed. This trip was just getting better and better. 

            An hour later Angel woke to having his hair stroked. Spike was still asleep but Gabriella was soothing them both. "Thank you," the words dropped from his lips quietly. She shrugged. "No…this means so much to me."

            "Good…Rest," she shushed.

            "I need to tell you something… well actually I need to tell you a lot of things," Angelus looked down guiltily. Gabriella tilted her head to consider him. "That morning… that awful morning…" he didn't look up. "I knew I'd never be able to explain that I turned you because of the kindness you showed me… When I saw what I had done to you, I was at the door ready to greet the morning sunshine."

            He looked up to see the pain brimming in her eyes but she didn't stop him. "I…" Angel's voice faltered. "Someone I knew found me and dragged me off so I couldn't do it… I didn't leave you to rise alone… I didn't reject you…" His eyes began to tear, "I came back…I came to get you…to do whatever I had to…to beg forgiveness. I saw you with Spike and… and I saw he was taking care of you. You were shaking so…" Angel stared straight into Gabriella's eyes, "I let you go cause I knew you would never trust me…and I had seen Spike love and care for another before. I knew he would take good care of you. I let you go and hoped you would be better off without me… I'm sorry… I… I'm so sorry."

            Gabriella's jaw hardened, "What about reliving it? That doesn't strike me as being sorry. I'm not the only one…"

            Angelus stared down completely ashamed, "I know I'm an animal deep down. I know that I can be a monster… I guess I figured if I gave into the thoughts I wouldn't actually follow through."  
            She stayed tense but half nodded. "Well try not to for a change."

            "I will."

            "Lay back down," she whispered. Angelus curled back into her now stiff body but still came. Gabriella breathed deeply letting go of the stress. She stroked Angelus's head a few times until he started to purr. Ella gazed at her husband and her sire. She placed a small kiss on each man's head and settled back to sleep.

            "What is going on up there?" Gunn asked no one in particular.

            "The link between Angelus and Spike has been cut… I would imagine they are re-establishing familial bonds," Wesley observed. 

            Buffy raised her eyebrow, "Would that include them all snuggly in a bed together purring like kittens?"

            Wesley looked a bit shocked, "I suppose… I would have thought Gabriella would have been out of the bonding…but with the claim in place and the fact she too is a childe of Angelus that is possible."

            "Purring like kittens?" the young man asked. "Is that normal?"

            Buffy shrugged, "Ang…elus would purr occasionally when we were holding each other. Spike always purred after sex."

            Will walked into the room just as the last part was uttered. He grabbed a bag of blood out of the refrigerator and heated. "Really?" he questioned. "Was that before or after you would beat the bloody hell out of him for existing in your near vicinity? As far as my memory goes… he purred for you maybe three times and that was only because you didn't wake up telling him how disgusting and awful he was."

            Buffy swallowed. She knew this conversation had been coming. This boy had been terrified of the version of her in his mind. Now that she was real he could lash back. "Ya know I'm going to make sure Fred is playing well with Joy," Gunn said quickly and left the room followed by Wesley.

            "Do you like people to know about the private moments in your life because it makes you feel important or is it just to prove you've had a life in the midst of your existence?" Will snapped.

            "I… I don't know what to say to you. I didn't mean to hurt you," she pled.

            "Yeah but you did mean to hurt Spike. He wasn't real. He didn't matter. He was just something you would use…like a drug. If you beat him down enough maybe he would leave like the rest and then you could play the wounded martyr all over again… Ya know there is no excuse for him forcing himself on you…but god didn't it make sense. You had to make him as evil as possible to make yourself look good. Well guess what princess, I've seen you at your finest moments and you don't look real human to me." Flames lit behind Buffy's eyes. "What do you want slayer? Ya want to hit me? I can see it in your eyes. That's how you deal with everything. Something hurts you, you slay it. Don't understand something, you punish it. You're scared, you lash out. Anger is what you know." 

Will's voice got very quiet. "All he ever wanted to do was love you. That night he saw you alive at the top of the stair he was ecstatic that you were alive and pained you weren't at rest. He loved you that much…he wanted you at peace more than he wanted you alive. You were his life…his existence and yet he still would have rather you be finished than have to keep fighting."

            Buffy swallowed her anger at the boy. "That little twit of a Normal you had with the big pretty soul that shone so brightly…he staked Spike because Spike showed you the truth…about you not being enough for him. How he needed to feel needed, depended on, even if it meant going to a vampire whorehouse. And Normal staked him for it. It was a plastic stake but still…Spike never mentioned it. Your heart had already broken so much and he regretted the pain it caused you that he never said anything. Your solider…did he ever show you the devotion and absolute understanding Spike did? Did the human guy that took you for a ride show you that sort of love? Have you ever been given that much? And if you even think of saying Angelus we're going to argue more… No one ever gave you more completely than Spike. I know he can be a jackass. I know he was evil but he loved you. He was good to you. If you had given him any sort of support or love he would have out shined every other guy on the planet for love." Buffy stood silently taking his abuse. 

The teenager breathed deeply and remembered for all intensive purposes this was Dawn's mom. Will said quietly, "I am sorry for what Angelus did to you and the people you love. You were my age when your world fell apart. I understand that too. I know you're scared for Dawn and the life she'll be forced to lead. But Buffy let her lead it. She's stronger than you know."

            "Was that the 'soften mom up' speech?" she joked.

            "I guess…It was more the 'I do get the worries but I won't be the one to cause problems' speech," Will replied.

            "So how do you do the…" Buffy pointed at her head.

            "My hair?" he questioned.

            The slayer laughed, "No I meant the mental thing…with Dawn."

            "Haven't a clue… There does seem to be a correlation between the ability and the girls I'm interested in," he confessed.

            "You saw Dawn for like a minute?"

            "No…I spent hours telling her stories and the summer with her playing cards. I listen to her sob about the loss of her mother and sister. And I protected her from idiot boys on the make. I let her paint my fingernails and listened to god-awful music. More than anything I was just with her when she needed to be with someone who loved her… I also took a knife to the back and a nose dive off a tower to save her," Will said solemnly. He stared into Buffy's eyes and said, "I got a punctured lung, several cracked ribs, and bruises all over my body. In short I nearly got beaten to death to protect her… I know her…and I love her. And that may terrify you more than anything because I'm a vampire but I am my father's son and I will be there for her when she needs me."

            Buffy was stunned. "Seventeen year old boys must have changed a lot in the last several years cause I never met any with that kind of commitment and sincerity."

            Will smiled, "You've never met the son of Love's Bitch before."

            "I forgot about that nickname… Very dramatic. You certainly possess his flare."

            "Yeah well I also possess his heart… I knew I felt something for the brown haired girl in my head but until I met her it was disconnected…not real. Once I could talk to her and be with her…everything just fit."

            Buffy paused, "Do your…parents know about your feelings for Dawn?"

            "Spike knows I like her a lot… Mum will have it nailed down as soon as she really talks to me about her," Will paused. "Dawn doesn't know how much I feel for her. I don't want her to either. She's sixteen and just met me. She hasn't been seeing me through Spike's eyes… Love is too much pressure to put on her."

The slayer stared at the teenage boy for a long time, "You love my sister?"

            "Yes."

            "You aren't going to sleep with her and lose your soul are you?"

            "Slayer, that is the dumbest thing I have ever heard," he chuckled. "One…I can't lose my soul. And two…I am not my father in that respect. I can keep mine in my pants just fine…especially in public places. I don't know how I am ever gonna be able to be in the Bronze and not think about… Forget it… I know how old I am and the general hormonal state that implies. I know you won't like the sound of this…but I was raised better than that. I was raised to respect myself and who ever I dated more than to sleep with them because 'it felt right.' I'm a bastard Buffy…in the realest sense of the word. I was raised with a respect for marriage and commitment. Hormones are one thing…the reality of growing up fatherless is another."

            "Can they clone you?" Buffy asked quickly. Will stared at her confusedly. "No really…you should be the model shown for boyfriends to teenage girls. Like 'here, see, this is a guy who is cool with a slightly weird hair thing going, body piercing, quite good looking, likes punk, and yet still a great guy to bring home to mom.' We need to have more men like you in the world…especially in high schools."

            Will chuckled…"So I passed the audition?" he asked. "Another guy from Liverpool said something like that once…made it on an album."

            "You are a very strange young man."

            "You're a vampire slayer that has died twice and had affairs with two…I repeat… two vampires. You aren't exactly the most normal person on the block." Buffy and Will smirked at each other in silence as he drank his lunch.

TBC…

A/N2: My life is utterly insane right now. I don't know how my updates are going to go.


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